


A Powerful Nothing

by Study_Maniac_7



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Broster NOT Dadster, Creepy Void Stuff, Dadster is cool but not for this story, F/F, F/M, Gaster is the Oldest Brother, Mute Frisk (Undertale), Mutual Pining, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader has a past, Reader is a really smart engineer, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Some swearing and violence where appropriate, lots of sign language, nonbinary characters - Freeform, reader is female, skelebros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2019-08-05 17:09:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16371692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Study_Maniac_7/pseuds/Study_Maniac_7
Summary: Six Months after the barrier is broken, you are summoned to Ebott City. The quarantined hub of monster activity and a short drive away from their old home. You're a decorated engineer and you've been offered the opportunity of a lifetime. You will be the first human allowed to study monster technology, how it interacts with this so called "magic", and access to the greatest geothermal energy plant in the world, The Core. This could easily be the biggest win for renewable energy in your lifetime, or is it..? There's a hidden danger underground, and it will threaten everything you know and love. You're not much of a fighter but can you outsmart the ghosts under the mountain?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first story on AO3!   
> This is by far not my first fic but it's been a while since I've published anything. So if you see any tags/technical things that could be improved, I'm all ears. Anyway, without any futher ado, I hope you enjoy this!

The bus rattles as it hits a pothole. You grab the brown pleather seat in front of you and curse the lack of seat-belts under your breath. Not that you needed to worry. There was only a handful of people on board and most of them had reacted the same way. Still, you sit up a little straighter, trying to regain composure before looking out the window. Pine trees flew by. They had started a while back down the road and only grew stronger and taller the further up the mountain you went. The ones that you saw now were as tall as telephone poles and were so thick that you could probably wrap your arms around the rough bark and barely be able to link your hands together. Their branches cover everything in speckled shade.

A fleck of yellow catches your eye. Then another flies by and another. Til the flecks turns into patches of golden flowers, and you feel relieved. Your destination is known for them, so you had to be close. At the river crossing, you see more military vehicles. Utilitarian Humvees pass by and signs for the local spa resorts were overshadowed by chain link fences topped with barbed wire.

The checkpoint comes into view and your heart sinks. It feels like a testimony to the crueler side of human nature. Monsters spent centuries behind a barrier and only to be guarded behind another one. It’s a sad but necessary protection against bigots and the unethical. Flashes of conspiracy theories and monster dust cure-all crackpots come to mind. You were quick to scroll past those links when you were researching this position, but just knowing they exist isn’t comforting.

Screeching brakes tear you out of your thoughts. The bus shutters to a stop and the front doors are opened. You grab your bag and shuffle off quietly with everyone else. Most of them seem to know each other and talk casually with a group of camo-clad soldiers. Once you’re off they begin boarding in your stead. Looks like they're here for the shift change. You wait for your suitcase quietly. Your PhDs never really taught you how to be social.

“Doctor…?” 

You look up and nearly do a double take. Standing a few feet away is a seven-foot-tall goat woman. She must have come around the other side of the bus for you to miss her. Her white fur practically glows in the sunlight and her royal purple dress is a rich contrast to the uniforms around the checkpoint. You recognize the white symbol stitched to her dress and the lady herself almost immediately. Yet it doesn't lessen the shock in the slightest.

“I am sorry, dear, but I'm afraid I don’t don’t know how to properly pronounce your name.” She apologizes and offers her hand. You shake it. Her fingers pads grip firmly but her fur slides off your skin like silk. Your hand feels dwarfed by comparison.

“Oh. No worries. I, um… I usually explain it to my students every semester.” You hope your smile doesn't look forced as you help her learn your name.

“Wonderful.” She says warmly. “Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Toriel Dreemurr and this is my child, Frisk. The human ambassador for monsters…”

She indicates the human child to her left. They can’t be older than ten or eleven. Their dark hair is cut short in a bob and they’re smirking at your gawking. It’s probably a common reaction. No amount of googling could have prepared you for this. 

“Hello.” you wave.

They smile hold up a small whiteboard. In colorful markers is written, ‘Howdy! Welcome to Ebott City!’

“Oh right. Um….” You had read about the ambassador’s mutism. So you adjust your bag on your shoulder and then sign, ‘It is nice to meet you Ambassador F R I S K.’ 

You spell out each letter of their name individually because you don't really understand how names work in sign language. And you're pretty sure your signing was clunky. Yet Frisk’s eyes widen.

“Did I do it wrong?” You sweat.

Frisk shakes their head so quickly that their hair flairs out. They give you a big grin and a thumbs up.

“You know sign language?” Toriel asks. Were you imaging it or was her tone warmer than before?

“A little.” You admit, “There was wifi on the plane so I killed time watching YouTube videos.”

“Really? Did you pick up the basics so quickly? That's quite impressive,” Toriel said, “but given your credentials, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.”

You can feel your face warming up. You don't know why, because you're used to praise for your accolades. But… Well. That was usually from your peers, and there was just something about Toriel that feels like you were making your mother proud. 

Now that’s something you hadn't felt, or even thought about, for a long time.

“Well, I…” You start but don't get a chance to finish. Because Frisk grabs your hand and starts pulling you towards the gate. Their excited ‘hurry up‘ gestures were understandable in any language. Behind you, you hear Toriel laugh.

“Ho ho! Alright, my child! We can show the good Doctor around now.” She takes the liberty of grabbing your suitcase for you and trails behind.  
\----

Much to their displeasure Frisk has to wait a few more minutes while your identity is confirmed and your luggage x-rayed and searched. Their childish pouting makes the grim reality of it seem almost silly. Finally, you were lead to a vehicle. It’s much like the ones you saw driving around the perimeter. Designed for function rather than comfort it makes the long bus ride look almost like a luxury, but as you were jostled over every bump and crack in the road Frisk signs excitedly. They act as your tour guide pointing out landmarks, giving directions, and adding little anecdotes that give the town color. Toriel translates as Frisk signs. You could tell that they were trying to go slow for you but it was nice to have help when they got a little over-excited or signed a word you didn't know.

The neighborhoods are composed mostly of cabins, bungalows, and duplexes. Sturdy logs and insulated vinyl siding made for the area’s cold winters are common. Though this time of year the picket fences were overflowing with vines, gardens, and cheap plastic wind catchers. Frisk rattled off the names of the residents like water. Mrs. Girlly had a brownie recipe that could rival Toriel’s pie. Mr. Winters ran the general store and seemed to enjoy the antics of his newest employees Bratty and Catty. The Thompson twins that lived in the blue corner unit used to be real terrors around the park but were now the most stalwart players on Monster Kid’s kickball team. You nod along but know that wouldn't be able to keep all these names straight later.

Eventually, the houses gave way to the “downtown” area. Like most small towns it’s simply a street with the shopping outlets on it, but you can see Mt. Ebott in the distance. You spot the general store and made mental notes on where a few others are located. You had packed light and would need more clothes at some point. The movie theater catches your eye. It’s the old-fashioned kind with a big red and white sign framed by bare lightbulbs. Frisk points out the arcade next to it and you watch an assortment of human and monster children milling around it.

“It is wonderful what we've managed to accomplish in six months,” Toriel said following your gaze.

“Do they all go to school together?” You ask.

Toriel lets out a deep sigh, “Not yet but we are working on it. Right now Frisk will attend my makeshift school with the other monster children once the summer is over. Perhaps next year we will have things sorted out with the school board…. However, those completing programs at UNH when the barrier fell are having quite a time of it.”

“UNH?”

“University of New Home.” Toriel explains, “It was our college in the underground, and before you ask Asgore is terrible at naming things….”

There is a bitter edge to her voice as she mentions the Monster King but you were saved from having to respond by the river. Going over the bridge Frisk points out a large building on the opposite shore.

‘That's where the sawmill is!’

From this distance it is hard to tell but it looks like it’s still in operation. There’s a fair amount of cars in the parking lot and trucks move in and out. Once across the bridge, the Humvee turns and it looks like you were headed towards a rental cabin resort.

Frisk notices your confusion. 

‘Where better to put a of bunch new people than in a hotel?’ They sign, ‘There's a lot around here and everyone that lived under Mt Ebott had a bunch of gold.’

“It's not ideal but most of the owners are reasonable people.” Toriel hums.

You nod and remember your internet research. Ebott City is a small town of roughly 15,000 people. That number tripled with the addition of monsters. It was founded an exorbitantly long time ago. Possibly around the time they were sealed away, but you try not to think about that too much. The main industries were logging and tourism. Industrial mining was listed as illegal in the town charter. That tradition was -again- probably started when the barrier was a known fact and continued due to superstition and geo-tourism. Throughout history, visitors have been drawn to the idyllic mountainside for relaxation and its numerous hot springs. The water’s rich mineral content is famed for its restorative properties and the fast-growing pines have been described as ‘magically abundant’ by more than one land surveyor. Information about the effects of magic are still scarce but all the credible research you’ve read states that it’s generally a good thing for the environment.

You wonder how many people have passed by the mountain without realizing what was underneath it…. 

Frisk bounces excitedly beside you and signs. “We’re here!”

The pines give way as the humvee reaches the top of the hill and you get a glimpse of the layout. The main hotel, a blocky building with cabin like accents, sits at the front. It serves to check people in and looks like it offered traditional rooms. Behind it lay a series of spiraling cul de sacs spaced out by trees and walk paths. Each circle has about four cabins each. They are two story homes with clean chestnut colored logs, green roofing, and wide windows. Almost like the lincoln logs you used to play with as a child. At the center of each cul de sac is a fire pit and a few picnic tables. It looks like the perfect place to barbeque and in fact you could see several groups of monsters doing just that. 

You’re driven to a cul de sac nearest the center and try not to look dumbfounded by the honest-to-god skeleton standing near the fire pit. Frisk is the first out. They practically leap into his outstretched arms and look happy as a clam sitting on his tall broad shoulders. 

“GREETINGS HUMAN DOCTOR!” The skeleton’s voice reminds you of something out of a He-Man cartoon. “I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS MONSTER MASCOT EXTRAORDINAIRE, WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY WELCOME YOU TO YOUR NEW HOME!”

“Oh! Thank you. I’m Doctor~” Your voice sounds so quiet, and you have to crane your neck to look at him. But it doesn’t matter since Papyrus interrupts you.

“MS. TORIEL, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO TAKE THAT FOR YOU.”

You look back to the Humvee to see that Toriel had again taken the liberty of getting your bag. 

“It’s no trouble Papyrus, really,” Toriel says.

You listen to the both of them politely insist and you feel your cheeks redden. It’s silly to be fussed over so much. Yes, you are an esteemed scientist in your field, but you’re hardly a superstar. You try to protest, “Um… I can take my own…”

“just let them do it.”

The noise you make is hard to describe but it’s not flattering. Whirling around you find yourself face to skull with another skeleton. How did you not see him before? He’s about your height, and some small part of you is glad that you won’t be looking up at every monster in town. Dressed in loose-fitting shorts and a hoodie he’s a lazy contrast to Papyrus’s sharp looking scarf, polo, and pants combo.

“aren’t you a wire-y engineer.” He smirks and your eye twitches at the pun. Extending a hand he says, “i’m sans.”

“Um, thanks… I’m~” Taking it, you are rewarded with a low, loud, and long fart noise that peters off into a high pitched whine.

“SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS!” Papyrus moans. You can practically hear Toriel and Frisk snickering.

“wha? it’s a classic” Sans chuckles and holds up the small palm-sized whoopie cushion.

“...” For once you’re caught absolutely speechless. The moment passes and the pupil like lights in Sans’ eye sockets shift awkwardly. 

“Let us be kind to the Doctor.” Toriel comes to the rescue and Sans looks as relieved as you are. She gently leads you to one of the cabins. “The journey here was long and this must be quite the culture shock. Perhaps some rest is for the best.” 

You nod dumbly and allow yourself to be lead. The door to your cabin is painted purple and it opens up to an airy first floor. Only a bar and countertop area separates the kitchen in the back from the rest of the living space up front. There’s a kitchen table and a few nice looking couches around an old TV. To your right is a staircase that presumably leads to the bedroom.

“Please do not feel the need to rush. Take however long you need, and we hope to see you at dinner tonight.” Toriel offers warmly.

“Thank you….” You mumble. “I think I will.”

“No pressure, either way,” Toriel replies. Your suitcase is set inside and Toriel closes the door gently behind her. 

You wait for a second to make sure you’re alone. When silence is the only thing that follows you let out a breath that you didn’t know you were holding. Combing your hand through your hair you ask the ether, “What did I get myself into?”  
\----------

“Well, that was a weird dream….”

You snuggle deeper into the covers. There’s no light coming in through the windows but that’s alright. The conference circuit tends to mess with your rhythms anyway. 

Giant goat ladies and prankster skeletons… Man, your imagination could run wild sometimes! You wonder if you should keep a journal as you roll over and come face to figurine with at a hot pink Mew Mew: Kissy Cutie clock.

“What…?” You blink a few times. Willing the obviously Japanese made appliance to melt into something more appropriate for the western cabin decor. It doesn't and slowly you start to remember. You sit up in bed.

It wasn't a dream. You weren't at a conference. You had agreed to move to Mt. Ebott to study monster technology and contribute ways to sustain The Core without constant manual upkeep. The thought of monsters stir up uncomfortable thoughts about “magic” but you shake your head as if to shake the memories away.

No….. This is different. You remind yourself that you are an adult now, and that you can handle this. You had only met three monsters so far and besides some quirky personalities, they all seemed like nice people. Exorbitantly friendly even! Plus Toriel had mentioned a university, so somebody had to have practice teaching the fundamentals. This “magic” was just another form of energy. Something you could measure, replicate, and predict. Patterns could be learned and you are good at learning.

Bolstered by you resolve you shower and change. Your style can be summed up as “business casual”. Though you a one fancy outfit and a lab coat in your suitcase. 

When you had first came upstairs you had been surprised to find two bedrooms and had just picked the bigger one in your tired stupor. Now you wonder if you were going to be sharing with anyone. You didn’t see any personal items in the other room. Maybe the clock belonged to someone else here? You should ask. It’s around dinner time and you wonder if Toriel’s offer is still good.

Making your way downstairs you see a group of monsters through the large windows. They’re clustered around the fire pit and picnic tables outside. Fairy lights strung between the cabins light the area with a soft glow and from the smell, you guess that the food has finished cooking. You’re also surprised to see a lot of important figures outside. Frisk is helping Papyrus stock wood for the campfire. Toriel is easy to spot by the grill, and you’re shocked to see King Asgore himself standing sheepishly by the veggie platter. Undyne, ex-captain of the royal guard and Frisk’s personal bodyguard, appears to be bickering with the robot superstar Mettaton over table placements. Did the monsters really stick anyone who could be considered a leader in one place? 

You see Sans talking with a yellow lizard monster you don't recognize and feel a little bit of comfort. Not everyone here was a political bigwig.

“You can do it.” You mumble and step outside.

“Hey NERD!” Undyne’s voice cuts through the crowd like a shot and you flinch a little.

“Hi…” you wave shyly, “Room for one more?”

There's a chorus of agreement and you make your way over. Frisk and Papyrus finish what they're doing to join you. King Asgore comes around the table to shake your hand.

“Howdy,” His voice is deep and soft. His handshake is much like Toriel’s, though his hand is nearly twice the size.

You introduce yourself and add, “Its a pleasure to meet you, your majesty, but I wasn't expecting to see you till tomorrow.”

“Please, just call me Asgore.”

“He still responds to Fluffybuns too!” Undyne jeers. Her smile is wide with an underbite full of big sharp teeth. Asgore pays her no mind, simply ruffling her hair and giving her a playful push. Undyne laughs.

“As I was saying.” He chuckles, “You will probably see me around here often. That is my cabin over there.” -He points to the cabin directly across the circle from yours with the green door.- “I share it with Undyne and Dr. Alphys here.”

At the mention of Dr. Alphys you perk up. She had been your contact after the military had approved your application. After all, monsters needed to have a say in who could go poking around the Core before you had final confirmation. You’ve never been interviewed over email before but her responses had been very quick and informative. In fact, it was because of her that you felt fairly confident about coming into this project at all.

“Dr. Alphys?” You ask and looking around.

“That would be this GORGEOUS monster over here!” Undyne practically shouts. She vaults over the table, rattling a few dishes in the process, and lands next to the yellow lizard woman you spotted before. Undyne hugs her tightly around the shoulders even as Alphys’ face goes from yellow to orange. “She’s the SMARTEST, GREATEST, and BEST ex-royal scientist on the surface!”

“Oh, w-well I wouldn't- I wouldn't s-say that much….” Alphys studders. Her tail curls around the front of her and around an ankle. If she could shrink into a little ball it looks like she would.

“Dr. Alphys its so good to meet you.” You smile warmly. Social anxiety is common among your peers and you felt like you had some common ground with Alphys in this group of superstars, “I'm so glad to put a face to the name. Your emails were incredibly informative and I'm looking forward to working on The Core with you.”

“Oh… Uh, t-thanks.” Alphys blinked.

“Of course you are!” Undyne's smile somehow grows wider. It was an uncanny sight but you could see that she genuinely believes in what she was saying. Her affection toward Alphys is sweet in it's it's own forcefully way. “Alphys is awesome!”

“Alright, everyone. Dinner is ready!” Toriel interrupts. Her arms are laden with burgers.

“Please let me help you with that Darling~” Mettaton purrs. He has the deep electronic voice of a radio star and the fluidity of a dancer as he plucks burgers from the tray. As he distributes them, you watch his metal arms bend and stretch in inhuman ways with mild fascination. “I want to be helpful and you didn't let me cook any of my fab~u~lous glamburgers this evening!”

“We didn't have enough glitter for that.” Toriel harrumphs.

Frisk tugs on your pant leg and angles their body so they could secretly sign to you, ‘Mom actually threw it all away. She says it gets everywhere.’ 

“Glitter? In food?” You whisper back.

They just smile and nod. Papyrus chimes in, “IT’S ACTUALLY QUITE DELICIOUS. LIKE CRUNCHY SUNLIGHT.”

Everyone started taking their seats. You somehow end up between Frisk and Sans. Toriel and Papyrus snag the ends of your row. Alphys and Undyne were across from you and were flanked by Asgore and Mettaton. You vaguely noticed that Toriel and Asgore were seated as far away from each other as possible, but mostly you were trying to figure up how you got stuck in the middle.

Between the burgers and light conversation, you learn that almost everyone at the table lives in this cul de sac. Papyrus and Sans were your next-door neighbors in the cabin with the blue door. Toriel and Frisk lived the last cabin with the red door. So knowing that Asgore, Undyne, and Alphys were in the cabin with the green door meant that the only one left out was Mettaton.

“I found a pink anime clock in my room; is that yours? Did I crash in your room by mistake?” You ask but even as you say it you doubt it. After six months aboveground there was no way this flamboyant robot could contain himself to a single clock decoration. 

“Oh no darling~!” Mettaton laughs “This is actually my last day here for a little while. Tomorrow Blooky, Shyren, and I start our world tour!” 

“Congratulations.” You reply.

“Yes it'll be marvelous, I'm sure! Tokyo, Milan, London~ Concerts performed nightly. Talk shows and meeting fans by the day. It’ll be tough but such is the life of a star!”

Nodding you remember a few YouTube videos that went viral. Mettaton’s music wasn’t exactly your style but it was catchy. Frisk looks proud while Mettaton continues to rattle on about the tour schedule. It must have taken massive political wrangling to get make it possible, but no doubt the tour would go a long way towards monster human relations.

“So if the clock isn't yours…?” You began and Alphys turns orange again.

“T-that would be mine….” she admits, “I-I-I knew I forgot something when I moved out.”

“Moved out?” You question, “I didn’t crowd you out, did I?” Given how everyone here has roommates, even the monsters three times your size, you could guess that space was at a premium. 

“Well, we wanted to give you space.” Asgore reasons.

“Besides! You movin’ moving in was just the excuse I needed to get this gorgeous monster all to myself.” Undyne beams. She nuzzles the top of Alphys’s head, who’s orange blush only deepens but she returns the nuzzle with a drunken grin. Alphys wraps her arms around Undyne, and it’s absolutely adorable.

“Awww…” You can’t help yourself. It’s just too cute to see and you’re not the only one that makes approving noises. Still, somewhere in the back of your mind, the special treatment makes you uncomfortable

For a bit the others simply tease the happy couple. Then ply Mettaton with questions about the travel arrangements; apparently the TSA hadn’t been too happy about a robot going through security.

Toriel turns to you, “So how was the trip, doctor? Hopefully not too bad.” 

“Not bad, just long. I barely remember crawling into bed.” You reply.

“know that feeling…” Sans mumbles. 

“Well dear, I am glad you arrived safely.” Toriel adds, “We’ve been looking forward to your arrival.”

You pause and decide to be brave once more. You have to know the reason behind all of this special treatment. From the welcome with the ambassador themself to carrying your suitcase for you and now knowing that you have the privilege of a private cabin. Something feels off. 

“I hope this question isn’t rude,” You start, “but may I ask why? I mean, not that I don’t appreciate the warm welcome. I do! I really do, but… Well, I’m here to study your tech. There will be a solution to The Core’s labor costs. I’m sure of it! It sounds like it’s a thermal cooling problem, but really it’s my privilege to come here to study your breakthrough in renewable energy. Out of the all of this, humans will benefit from this more than you will. So why am I getting special treatment?”

Silence descends upon the table. You can feel everyone’s eyes on you and you struggle not to squirm.

“Well?” You say with more resolution than you feel.

“There, uh…. W-we had a lot of difficulties with…” Alphys stammers. She drums her claws on the table and mumbles. “The Core really is a problem. I - I.. There w-was only so much - so much I could tell you over email…” 

You blink. Well, that explains a few of Alphys’s ‘odd’ questions during the interview. You don’t say anything. Instead you just nod and wait for her to continue.

She doesn't do so immediately. Everyone is quiet and Alphys looks first to Asgore and Toriel. They both stare at you intently and again you struggle not to squirm. You could practically feel them summing you up. Part of you wonders if the rumors are true and that monsters can see through to your very soul. There’s tension in the air that says that they can, and their gazes shift to a spot in your chest about where your heart should be. Guess that those rumors might be true. After what feels like forever both Asgore and Toriel nod. Whatever they saw in you was deemed worthy. 

Approval given, Alphys continues. You leaned in intently as she explains the true depth of the issue.

Turns out that if The Core isn’t kept cool it can overheat, and if it does it has the potential to melt the entire underground. Which while no one wants to stay there, the underground had been their cultural home for generations. No one wanted to see it destroyed. More importantly the additional magma would not be good for the local geography. The heat alone would kill the surrounding forests and wildlife. Thus wiping out a good chunk of the environment and economy around here. Alphys isn’t certain if the pressure would be enough to force the lava to the surface but no explanation was needed for how bad that would be.

To complicate the matter The Core produces a lot of energy and that energy has to be used up. Otherwise, the system would overload. Right now the buffers were handling it just fine, but they didn’t know how long it would last. Should an overload happen Mt. Ebott could become Grand Canyon Ebbot. Directly shutting down The Core or simply turning the thing off was not possible either. It was tied directly into the earth’s crust and once it began operation it had become self-sustaining. To break the loop would cause the same kind explosion…. In theory.

This was all untested. There had always been enough monsters in the underground to staff The Core and use up the energy it produced. While Alphys never said it, you got the feeling that no one had actually believed they would ever be free. So the Core simply hadn’t been designed with it in mind.

It was both sad and terrifying. 

“You’re saying that we’re sitting on a ticking time bomb?” You summarize.

“Do you wish to remain?” Asgore’s question is short but holds the weight of a king.

It all made sense. They threaded a thin line when they hired you and you were secretly a little proud of making the cut. On one hand they sought out someone with the skills and knowledge to help with the Core. On the other they must have searched through your personal history and looked through every scrap they could to find to figure out who you are. Part of you wonders how much they found but you can guess that they interpreted it with sympathy. Since they needed someone that wouldn’t run to the authorities the moment you heard the truth.

With a single phone call you could shut down this entire project and fuck up every monster’s life. You could just imagine how the politicians would panic. How the military could lock down the quarantine and evacuate the entire city, except for the monsters. They would be stuck here as the media would run with this story and paint them in a terrible light. There would be calls to force them back underground. If not because of their race then because of an unfeeling machine that could blow anytime. Even if ethical voices were heard the whole thing would get wrapped up in so much red tape that it would take generations to resolve.

For a brief second, you remember being trapped with machines in a small dark place. It fills your thoughts. You smell sulfur and remember the flames. It’s a brief but potent memory.

Asgore’s question hangs in the air. Do you wish to remain?

“Absolutely.” You agree with determination in your eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your first few weeks on the job take an unpredictable turn, and that may be the understatement of the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we've set the scene it's time to get into the good stuff! I hope you enjoy!  
> \-----  
>  ******IMPORTANT PLEASE READ THIS!!!!!******  
>  So for this and all subsequent chapters I'm going to put this message in the beginning of any chapter that may need specific trigger warnings! I think I've covered all the major things in the tags but you can never be too safe! If you see this message you now know that you can click the link below to zip to the end of chapter Author Notes. Where I will list all the specific warnings that could possibly pertain to this chapter. If you don't care or don't need them, you can ignore this message without being spoiled and those that do need them can zip down the list. (where there is a button to zip back up once you're done) Please feel free to message me if you would like more details regarding the warning.
> 
> Thank you! I hope you enjoy this!

Morning sunlight streams in through the windows. You’re not sure if you would ever get used to bumpy humvee rides. Alphys seems to be a pro at it though, and as the two of you headed up the mountain she explains the basic layout of the Underground.

“W-we’ll be -We’ll mostly be working in Hotland. That’s where most of the Core’s main components are l-located.” She explains.

“What have you been using as coolants so far?” You ask. You are keenly aware of the soldier’s presence in the driver’s seat. Toriel and Asgore had informed you after dinner that most of the military didn’t know about the Core’s explosive potential. However, between the two of them, they had managed to convince every one of your cover story. This was a win for human renewable energy. Any problems were simply maintenance issues that would only affect the Core itself and nothing else. 

You repeat these things in your head to keep the lie alive.

“I-Ice wolf still makes his rounds once a week, t-t-though the dog squad - t-the old royal guards- have taken turns at his station in Snowdin. T-there is a - The river flows straight past the C-Core’s hottest components and t-takes q-quite a lot of heat with it.”

“And the electrical build up? I- um... That could be detrimental to the temperature.” You do your best not to side-eye the guard. He doesn’t appear to be paying attention anyway. His eyes are glued to the dirt road.

“We h-have been keeping the l-lights on in some areas of the Underground. I-It’s not very exact but it’s been w-working so far. P-plus the buffers and gen-generators have been storing the rest.”

“I see…” You hum. For the rest of the ride, you discuss the logistics and physical components of the Core itself. It’s fascinating stuff, even without the risk of overload.

“Interesting…” You mumble, “Do you know who built the Core? Are they still around? Their notes could be incredibly useful.”

An odd look crosses Alphys’s face. “That’s not important.”

“Wha-?” You blink. It was the first time you had heard Alphys speak without a stutter, but as soon as it came the look disappeared. The humvee slows and comes to a stop.

“W-we're here.” She says and casually gets out as if you hadn’t said anything.

“Weird…” You mumble to yourself.

“That’s monsters for ya.” The driver shrugs. You glare at him but can’t think of anything to say. Casual racism is not something you expected first thing in the morning. You unbuckle your seatbelt and shut the door behind you with a little more force than usual. It isn’t exactly the most eloquent response but it made you feel better.

However your relief is short lived. The entrance to the Underground stands like a large gaping mouth in the rock, ready to swallow you whole. Black and bottomless it's practically barren compared the vista behind you. You can almost see Ebott City from up here and part of you wants to run back there rather than take another step forward.

“I-It’s no so b-bad inside.” Alphys tries to comfort you

“Sorry.” You mumble. You didn't mean to make it obvious.

“I-it’s okay. I-I d-did the same thing the first time I-I came back.” Her smile is small.

You nod. You can only imagine what it must be like for her, having to return day after day to an old prison. From what you’ve been told, it was relatively comfy down there, but still a prison. Alphys takes your silence as acceptance and she leads you past the threshold. The moment your foot falls on the dark polished stone you pause. 

“Y-you okay?”

For a moment you could have sworn that you smelled ozone and sulfur, but it’s gone now.

“Yeah….” You must have imagined it.

\-------

“Holy cra...Em! Uh...” Your face flushes and it’s obviously not from the lava’s heat.

Besides you, Alphys laughs. She tries to say something a few times only to double over again.

“It’s an impressive machine!” You try to defend yourself. You wave your arms to articulate the point but it only makes Alphys laugh harder. If you weren’t so embarrassed by almost cursing on your first day, you might’ve been able to appreciate how bubbly Dr. Alphys’s laughter can be.

“I-it is.” Alphys agrees and wipes a tear away with a claw. Across the viewing platform, the Core sits as imposing as ever. Its scale boggles the mind. She’s still chuckling as she walks down the path but her posture isn’t as withdrawn as before. “M-my old lab is t-this way.”

“Ok.” You mumble and trail behind.

A faint beeping catches your ear. You pause. It sounds like someone talking with the voice of an old internet dial-up connection. You turn around but it’s gone. The only things you see are an empty hallway and the Core. Alphys keeps going. You look around but don’t see anything that could possibly make that sound.

“Did you hear that?” You call out to Alphys.

The Doctor stops. She looks around and then back at you, “N-no…?”

“Must have been nothing…” You mumble.  
\----------------

Alphys shows you around the lab first. Part of you likes the giant red letters above the front door. It’s classy in its own campy sort of way, but you love the supercomputer even more. 

“The calculation speed is incredible!” Your fingers fly over the keys and the giant monitor runs through window after window without showing any sign of lag. You vaguely notice an application for viewing the security cameras but ignore it.

“T-Thank-thank you…” Alphys blushes. Her scaly face turns a faint orange color. “M-mt. Ebott is rich in gold and once I f-figured out t-that it was a good conductor…”

“You built this?!” You can't keep the excitement out of your voice, “I’m impressed Dr. Alphys.”

She flushes a deep shade of orange. “O-oh, i-its noth… I-I m-mean… T-thank you…”

“Its deserved.” You say not taking your eyes off the screen, “Now you said we could access the Core’s main systems through this?”

“Y-yeah.” Alphys takes over and pulls up the application. A blueprint of the Core pops up in one window and the rest of the screen is filled with logistics. Another window pops up with a menu of functions spanning from safety features to… puzzle functions? “T-the main control room w-was inoperable when I started." 

“What happened to it?” You ask.

“Nothing important. It's just always been that way.”

Looking over, you see that weird look on Alphys’s face again. Her pupils look dull and it's unnerving to hear her talk without a stutter. Her voice sounds monotone when she does.

“Ooookay…” you stretch out the word and again the look vanishes.

For the next couple of hours you familiarize yourself with the Core’s systems. The two of you pull up chairs and Alphys explains things when needed. You smile as she goes into depth about the monster tradition of puzzle making and tells you a few anecdotes of Frisk’s trip underground. Apparently, there's security footage of the whole thing. You resist the urge to watch it like some sort of movie marathon at work. Instead, you two have lunch and throw around a few coolant ideas.

The discussion is broken when a catchy tune plays and Alphys pulls out her phone. She reads the message quickly and responds. “I-I need to g-get something really quick. W-will y-you be okay here for a minute?”

“I'll be fine.” You say and point at the supercomputer. “Gives me a chance to play around.”

Alphys nods and disappears into the bathroom. Or at least, that's what the sign on the door says. You hear the sounds of an elevator and shrug. When in Rome… 

For a while the lab is quiet. The gentle whir of computer fans play background to your fast typing. You make notes in a spiral bound notebook. A few sticky notes join the others in a growing wall of ideas to discuss later, and the computer hums as you make a duplicate of the Core's code. If you could create a digital simulator it would go a long way towards working out a solution.

You’re in the middle of printing out a copy of the Underground’s power grid when you hear footsteps on the floor above you.

“Alphys?” You call. Was there a door up there that looped around to wherever she had gone? You hadn't been given you a full tour of this building. So it was possible….

There's no response and the footsteps keep pacing around. Did somebody else work here too? There's a click to each step that sends a shiver down your spine. 

“Hello?” You say even louder but again there’s no response. 

Unnerved, you take the escalator stairs two at a time.

Nothing.

There are a few bookshelves and a peeling poster on the wall. But you don't see a door nor anyone pacing around. In fact, it feels colder up here, and the smell of sulfur lingers in the air.

You hear your name being called and you look over the railing at Alphys emerging from the “bathroom”. There's a chewed dog toy under her arm.

You look back to the bookshelves. The smell is gone and only the catgirl poster stares back.

“Up here.” You call to Alphys “Sorry. I, uh… Thought I heard a noise.”

“O-oh.”

“Been doing a lot of that today.”

“I-Its okay. A-A lot of t-things echo a-and sound weird Underground if you're n-not used to it.”  
\---

Days pass and much to your surprise the bumpy humvee rides no longer bother you. Sometimes the driver is different, and sometimes it's the same. None of them try to talk to you besides the standard pleasantries. Though they never seemed pleased by the duty.

You and Alphys drag whiteboards into the lab. You work out ways to use the generators more efficiently but it's not a solution only a better band-aid.

“Maybe we could build something to convert the energy into something more compatible with the city’s power grid?” You continue working on the equation with a dry erase marker.

“I-It would have to be as b-big as the Core itself to handle t-the load or a-a lot of little converters,” Alphys says over her bento box lunch.

You groan and bite your lip. “Little” usually meant something about the size of a bus and that would be a nightmare. Besides showing the world that something was obviously wrong with the Core, you could only imagine the problems associated with a network of fifty or so turbines.

“I still don't get how this…” you pick up a manual and read the term aloud, “Casted Inflection Field works.”

Alphys finishes her lunch and sets it aside, “B-because you're not taking magic into account.”

“Yes well...” You sigh and shift uncomfortably. Even after all these years the ‘M’ word still makes you squirm. Especially when it’s said with so much conviction. “I just can't wrap my mind around it. Like… what even is it?”

“Ma-magic is in everything,” Alphys emphasized. “I-Its in matter and mass. I-Its the di-discarded energy of s-souls. It's life. Its y-you and m-me.”

You bite your cheek. “I’m sorry. I just don’t…. understand. Can you put it a little more analytically for me? I can get that its energy but what’s its unit of measurement?”

Alphys sighs, “I d-don’t think y-you’d get what an Ohm is w-without understanding electricity but… A-a Magogram is the a-amount of magic it takes to form the smallest magic p-pellet.”

She unfurls her claws and a small glowing white bullet appears above her palm. It's oval-shaped and roughly an inch in length. 

“Okay,” You nod, “So that's mass but what about strength?”

Alphys sighs again. You're clearly not getting it.

“Ma-magic IS energ-” She's interrupted by a loud crack. Both of you jump at the noise. Then the overhead lights shut off and plunge the lab into darkness.

“Wha..? 

“P-power surge must’ve must’ve popped a circuit b-breaker.” You hear Alphys get up. The glowing dot in her hand shifts position. It's too small to illuminate anything. “I-I’ll get it.”

Was it you or did it feel colder in here all of a sudden? 

“Ummm…” You cross your arms over your chest, trying to warm yourself. “Can I come with?”

Unfortunately, your foot catches the edge of a desk and you nearly fall flat on your face.

“C-careful!” Alphys helps you into a chair. From the way she guides you it's obvious that she has some sort of dark vision. Though it's not perfect since the two of you move slowly. “I-I-I think it would be b-better if I did it. D-don't worry! I k-know this place like the back of my hand. I-I’ll be quick.”

“Okay…” You mumble quietly. You hate how small you sound, but Alphys doesn't comment on it. Instead, she repeats her promise to be quick and you hear her scurrying off. As you listen to her footsteps fade you wonder if she thinks you're afraid of the dark. She wouldn't be entirely wrong….

With a start you remember your phone. Using the chair as your center, you fiddle around until you find your purse. Loose change and chapstick rattle around your fingers until your hand wraps around the familiar rectangle.

“Let there be light…” You smirk and turn on the flashlight app.

Gone were the lab’s pastel colors and friendly beeping. Instead, the space feels truly cavernous, lined only by cold clinical tiles. The app cuts a out swath of light in the darkness, but dust motes and long whiteboard shadows are eager to fill it. 

The smell of ozone hits your nose.

“Hello..?” You call out. You don't know why the smell makes you think that someone is here but you do. You stand and scan the area. Only the harsh whiteboard sheens and dead monitor screens reflect back at you.

“This isn't funny.” You say as you walk around. 

_‘eeeeekeeeeeccckeekeeccccc’ ___

__The noise is shrill, precise, and full of purpose. You know this sound. It’s the squeak of a dry erase marker and it makes your blood run cold._ _

__You snap around. The marker falls onto the tile. It clacks against the floor and rolls towards your foot. There's no one standing in the spot where it dropped. The cap is sitting on the counter and you didn’t put it there._ _

__“If you don't show yourself right damn now I swear I’ll-" You turn towards the supercomputer and the words are strangled in your throat. In the reflection of the monitor you see a warped white face split by a dark smile._ _

__You scream._ _

__The lights return with a blinding vengeance. Computers blink on and the air conditioning whirls to life with a cacophony of noise. You drop your phone in a panic. The front doors slides open._ _

__“D-DOCTOR!” Alphys rushes in. You more or less feel her claws dig into your lab coat as she checks you over. “W-what’s w-wrong? A-Are y-you o-okay? A-are y-you h-h-hurt?”_ _

__You can't form a coherent sentence. You’re stuck in flight or fight mode. You rip away from Alphys as well as the monitor and try focusing on your breathing. Your heartbeat pounds in your ears. You step on the dry erase marker and nearly fall over. Again Alphys is there to catch you._ _

__She's asking you questions but you don't hear them. Your eyes are locked on the whiteboard. In a shaky hand, someone has corrected your math._ _

__“Who wrote this?” You ask but it doesn't feel like your voice._ _

__\----  
No one in the cul de sac could give you a straight answer. When you mention the noises, they look to a confused Alphys and explain how things sound different underground. When you talk about the writing or the face you saw, it's brushed off as “not important”. It’s amazing how many ways a conversation can be conveniently sidestepped. You’d be insulted if they didn't share the same blank look Alphys had when you had said these things to her. It's like a trance and once they snap out of it everyone acts like you never asked anything at all._ _

__This can't just be a cultural thing…._ _

__You slump in your seat by the campfire and watch it flicker. You try to reason with yourself. This isn’t part of your work, but damn if it isn’t creepy and distracting. You had overheard Asgore talking with Toriel about giving you a few days off. Do they think it's the strain from the project or are they regretting hiring you?_ _

__The bench squeaks as Frisk sits down. They're dressed in overalls and a faded jersey. A colorful bow keeps their hair out their eyes._ _

__“Hey…” You try to smile but you can’t shake the tired tone from your voice._ _

__‘S’more?’ They sign and offer you a treat. You take it gingerly. The marshmallow is a little crispy but still warm from the fire. The chocolate melts in your mouth._ _

__‘I'm sorry.’ They sign, ‘I wish I could help you, but…’ Their hands trail off._ _

__“You believe me?” You look at them, eyes full of disbelief. The s’more is forgotten._ _

__They nod. Their expression is clear as they sign, ‘One time… I met a strange monster in Waterfall. I haven’t seen him since…’_ _

__“Where? What did he look like? Sorry, I assume this monster was a ‘he’, and uh...” Your cheeks flush and you bite your lip. You look at the fire to hide your embarrassment. How can you pepper a kid with questions like this? But part of you can’t believe that somebody believes you. Someone actually believes you!_ _

__‘I think so?’ Their face scrunches up and they shrug, ‘He was tall with a white face and holes in his hands…. I tried to say hi but I think I scared him because he disappeared right after. Haven’t seen him since. It was a gray door in Waterfall. I’ve searched all over for it but… Well, I looked… a lot.’_ _

__\-------  
You start watching the security cameras more. Frisk was right. There is no gray door. You looked for it too, both on screen and in person in case there was a blind spot in the network… There wasn’t._ _

__Alphys was currently gone to oversee maintenance on one of the Core’s steam pipes. It had taken some convincing to let her leave you alone again, and to be honest it unnerves you as well. But nothing had happened in the last week. Plus you are prepared this time. You have motion sensors hidden around the lab and a better circuit breaker. As well as a bunch of candles and a heavy military grade flashlight sitting on the table next to you._ _

__“i see you've lightened up around here.”_ _

__“Jesus!” You nearly jump out of your chair. You grab the heavy flashlight and the skeleton takes a few steps back. He's in dark shorts and one of his colorful hoodies today with a tropical print resembling a Hawaiian t-shirt. It clashes horribly with his usual pink slippers._ _

__“nope, i’m sans.” He laughs and holds up his hands to placate you. Papyrus had told you about Sans’s ability to teleport, but you don't think you'll ever get used to it._ _

__You groan and set down down the flashlight, “You can't go from puns to dad jokes. Not allowed.”_ _

__“but I don't want to be jesus. it’d make me too cross.”_ _

__You groan louder and consider picking up the flashlight again. Sans just laughs and drags over a rolling chair._ _

__“so whatcha doin’?”_ _

__“Just diagnostics.” you sigh, “Once I get the simulation running I can try a few ideas but for now I'm just brainstorming.”_ _

__“i mean really…”_ _

__You glare at him but he doesn't back down. Instead, he just waits with a plastered on grin._ _

__“I'm not crazy,” You say defiantly._ _

__“not sayin’ that you are.”_ _

__“And I'm not overreacting or working too hard. I know what I saw.”_ _

__“yeah, but what's the harm in taking a break? it's not like the core’s gonna blow any minute.” Sans crosses his arms behind his head and leans back in the chair, “worst case scenario we've got another seven months before we start gettin’ any trouble. so a few days off won't hurt.”_ _

__“That's not the point.”_ _

__Sans looks like he's about to say something but then the overhead lights flicker._ _

__The smell of sulfur and ozone is back._ _

__“what…?” Sans’s brow furrows with confusion but you've already sprung into action. Your fingers fly over the keys. Window after window flies over the screen briefly showing you different parts of the Underground. Some of the auxiliary lights shut off but not all of them. And not the supercomputer. The separate generator you had installed made sure of that._ _

__“There!” You stop at a camera in Hotland. It's not far from where Alphys and the repair crew were fixing the pipe._ _

__Static fills the camera feed. Something that you had never seen with these cameras. You pull up the data and start processing it. Between the computer’s speed and your skill you filter out the distortion. Slowly but surely a silhouette of a tall opaque monster appears on screen. He’s walking away from the work site. Like a ghost on film…._ _

__You try to capture a still but there's something wrong with the program. Errors pop up left and right._ _

__“No! No, no…” You curse but it's too late. By the time they clear the image is gone. The hallway is empty. Power returns to all of the lights. You turn to Sans, “Tell me you saw that!”_ _

__For a brief second Sans’s expression is sad, heartbroken almost, but if you had blinked you would’ve missed it. He turns to you with a confused look and shrugs._ _

__“nope, sorry doc…. maybe you should get s’more sleep? always does the trick for me.”  
\-------_ _

__You feel like you're at the end of your rope. Sitting on your bed you glare at your feet, head in your hands._ _

__How could this be happening? You had built dams in the face of incoming floods. You had designed vehicles to make it through minefields and old toxic battlegrounds unharmed. Over the course of your career, you had strived despite every pompous intellectual and controlling politician that had ever attempted to make you feel inferior._ _

__And now you were banned from going back to the lab. Asgore had pulled you aside after you returned for the evening. Something was obviously on his mind and he tried to broach the subject as gently as possible. You saw Sans in the shadow of his cabin and instantly knew what it was._ _

__You hadn’t been fired, per se, but you were on mandatory vacation. He made excuses for you. Citing the pressure of the situation, change in environment, and culture shock. None of these things had stopped you before, but when half of your concerns were met with hypnotic stares you didn’t know what to do. Nor how to refute the monarch’s concerns._ _

__So you had skipped dinner. It probably didn’t help your case, but you were given this cabin for space, right?_ _

__You groan and flop back onto your bed._ _

__Maybe you should resign. It’s not like you had made any real progress…. That was a depressing thought. You had never failed at anything before. Setbacks were unavoidable, but true failure… Didn’t sit well with you. Not to mention that you would be letting down a whole city of monsters. You could promise that you wouldn’t tell anyone about the Core but what comfort would that give? How could poor little Frisk spin your departure as anything but abandoning the cause?_ _

__And over what? A few spooky noises? Some asshole fucking with you? A weird taboo?_ _

__Maybe you should go over your notes. The lab was off limits but you still had your laptop and notebook. You could finish the simulator and start running through scenarios._ _

__The air conditioning kicks on and the smell of sulfur waft into the room. You bolt out of bed._ _

__“The hell?” You curse and make for the door. You get to the stairs in time to see your front door close. Racing down you spot your bag and it’s contents scattered across the floor. Your notebook is gone._ _

__“Oh hell no….” You stuff your feet into a pair of tennis shoes and bolt out the door. Outside the cul de sac you see a group of bushes rustle and you take off after it._ _

__“HUMAN?”_ _

__You ignore Papyrus and keep running. You don’t have time for blank looks. Tearing into the tree line you swat shrubs and branches out of your way. A few of them scratch at you but you knee past them. You weren’t especially athletic and your lungs are already burning. But your cabin was in the middle of the rental space. So you cheat with roads and parking lots. It’s late but a few shouts of alarm follow you as you cut through backyards. Throughout the chase you keep pace with the intruder. You never see who or what it is, just a shadow or dark shape, but you will be damned if you lose it._ _

__It takes a sharp turn towards the mountain and you follow. You duck through a fence. The forest gets thicker. You leave the well-paved roads behind you. Streetlamps linger farther and farther away. Thankfully though, runner’s high kicks in and your feet feel lighter. By the light of the moon you run, sensitive to every unnatural swish of leaves or rustle in the dark. You barely give any thought to where your next footfall lies._ _

__That’s a mistake._ _

__Your leg sinks into the earth. The ground is too soft, too unstable. Your stomach drops first. Then the rest of you follows. The free fall is chaotic. You don’t know how far you’ve gone but you gasp just in time and hold that breath as you’re plunged into running water._ _

__This is how you are going to die. You’re sure of it. In the dark, battered by an underground aqueduct, you grasp at the sides. Only to have a few nails torn away as you careen past, but in the seconds you are carried away the cavern opens up. There’s air and you gulp at it greedily. Another drop and you fall into a much shallower pool. Your ass is going to feel that tomorrow and your hand trails blood as you claw your way to the shore._ _

__Moments pass where you just breathe and lay in the damp dark earth. Listening to your erratic heartbeat. Soft light illuminates the blue crystals in the dirt, and then recognition hits. You know this place. You’re in THE Underground, Waterfall to be precise. You stare down a path and know that it leads to an abandoned Nice Cream stand and a plate of crystallized cheese._ _

__The random fact makes you laugh. Probably left over euphoria from the runner’s high and almost dying._ _

__Clicking footsteps catch your attention and a shadow passes over the cavern wall. You gasp from the icy realization that it’s the same shadow..._ _

__How? No. You don’t have any time for questions. If you are going to recover any dignity from doing something so incredibly stupid you are going to have something - or someone - to show for it._ _

__Your legs are shaky but you stand. It’s more of a hobble than a run, but humans are persistent hunters by nature. You don’t have to outrun them. You only have to outlast them._ _

__The shadow slides past the entrance to the side cavern containing the Nice Cream stand. You step over an abandoned telescope. Whatever you’re chasing is slowing down. This is coming to an end._ _

__Suddenly both the shadow and the footsteps disappear. You’d scream if you didn’t see your spiral-bound notebook lying in the ground before a great grey door. For a mind-numbing minute you simply stare at it. So pedestrian and out of place in the rough hewn crystal walls. The wood looks smooth, polished even. It’s something that should be outside a bedroom. Not here. The handle feels neither hot nor cold under your hand, and the door swings open without a sound._ _

__You didn’t know what you were expecting, but a small plain gray room isn’t it. About the size of a child’s bedroom, it holds no decoration. In its center is the figure that’s been burned into your mind’s eye for the past month. Tall, bone white face, and holes in his hands: he is exactly as Frisk described. Whatever his strange black robe is made out of seems to ooze onto the floor, obscuring his lower half. His face, as cracked and warped as you remembered it from the lab, is tucked into the collar of his oversized turtleneck like he had fallen asleep while standing._ _

__You’d like to consider yourself a level-headed person, but at this moment all you can feel is rage. You see red._ _

__Storming forward you give him no warning. You reach out and grab a fistful of his turtleneck. Blood seeps from your fingers into the white fabric, and with every piece of malice in your body you shout into his face._ _

__“YOU!”_ _

__He wakes up with a start, screeches, and tries to pull away. But you won’t let him vanish on you. As quickly as a snap, you wrap your other arm around his shoulders in a vice-like grip. He says something but it sounds like an old dial-up connection. It’s the same sound you heard on the observation deck and it feeds your conviction._ _

__“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” You scream and haul him back toward the door. “DID YOUR PUNK ASS THINK I’D LET YOU PLAY FUCK FUCK WITH THE SCIENTIST FOREVER?!?!”_ _

__Dragging him feels like you’re ripping something. Ozone fills the room, and it turns out that his cloak is actually oozing. Thick globules of it run over your arms and spatter your shirt, but you don’t give a flying fuck._ _

__“I CAN’T FUCKING WAIT TO SEE HOW YOUR DUMBASS EXPLAINS THIS SHIT TO ASGORE AND TORIEL!” You rage. Your muscles burn. For someone so thin and tall it feels like he weighs as much as the Core itself. Something pulls at your chest but you repulse it with sheer determination. You’ve felt this way exactly once before and you use it to drag this monster inch by goddamn inch to the door._ _

__At the threshold his dark eye sockets are huge. He stops squirming and clings to you instead. Something hits you like an invisible wall. Was it a barrier? Did the underground have more than one? Did this bastard put it up?_ _

__“GODDAMN IT ALL!” You grit through your teeth. A familiar burn unfurls in your chest. It's been years but you recognize it all the same. As if sensing your intentions the burn travels from your chest to your shoulder. It sears the entire way. With a cry you slam it into the invisible wall. Once…. Twice…._ _

__On the third try something shatters. The two of you fall through the door. His oozing black cloak starts to evaporate like dry ice the moment he's across. White hot pain lances down your arm and you scream. It triggers memories you don't want to see again. The basement. The candles. A familiar face twisted beyond the point of recognition. They smile at you horribly and you let go of the monster to rake your hands through the rocky soil. A jagged pebble stabs one of your bare fingernail beds and it's the straw that broke the camel's back. As you slip into blissful unconsciousness a pair of skeletal hands reach out for you._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this is a love story! Kinda...  
> ====  
> WARNING THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS: Swearing, Creepy Stuff/paranormal like Spooks, Violence/Violence inflicted on Reader (including near drowning, falling, shoulder injury, loss of finger nails,), and mention of Blood.  
> I generally don't go into gory detail but it happens. And sometimes I use details to create immersion (like bleeding onto an object. etc.) Hope this helps!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up in the one place you ought to be after a fall like that. You're not thrilled about it, but there's finally an explanation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMGOSH! So I was GOING to save this chapter for tomorrow but soooomebody (*eyes Toby's Twitter account*) had the same idea! I'm excited to see what that'll be about, but in the meantime let's keep going with the story. If any new information becomes canon I'll just slap an AU tag on this. Somewhere...
> 
> Special shout out to SilverSky13! U cool
> 
>  ******IMPORTANT PLEASE READ THIS!!!!!******  
>  If you see this message you now know that you can click the link below to check out any specific trigger warnings in the end of chapter notes. Where I will list all the specific warnings that could possibly pertain to this chapter. If you don't care or don't need them, you can ignore this message without being spoiled and those that do need them can zip down the list. (where there is a button to zip back up once you're done) Please feel free to message me if you would like more details regarding the warning(s).
> 
> Thank you!

Clean white sheets. 150 thread count. Coarse texture. Stiff pillow. Artificial silicon mix foam, not feathers. Antiseptic. Pastel walls. Paint smell. Titanium dioxide. LED lights. 277 volts. Humming electrons. Air conditioner. Slight breeze. 68 degrees Fahrenheit. IV bag. Polyvinyl chloride. Liquid magic. Green. 1000 Magograms*. Steady HP drip. Standard stabilization dose.

Gaster’s eyelights dart around the hospital room. His mouth slightly ajar from a mix of shock, adoration, and sheer sensory overload.

Window. Double pane glass. Plywood shutters. More Titanium dioxide. White. Closed. Nightstand. Plywood. Quarter inch thick.

The door opens and he's overwhelmed by the mass of data that comes with it. He sees everything from the individual paint flecks in the hallway to the number of pores on the human nurse's skin.

His soul shutters and gives him the one mercy it can. He passes out.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Holy shit, you feel like hell. You wake on your left side, tucked into a bed that is not yours. Whoever put you there knew what they were doing. The sheets and pillows are stacked against you in such a way that you can’t move. Somebody did not want you rolling onto your back. For a panicked second you think that you’re strapped down too, but blinking into wakefulness you realize that your right arm is just in a sling. It’s a weird one. The straps wrap around your chest and waist in a way you’d expect, but there’s a foam block under your armpit that extends out to your palm. Your arm is immobilized like you’re offering someone a cup of coffee.

“Wut…?” Your voice feels raw. It shocks you and you cough. Shit that hurts too.

There’s a shuffle and you crane your neck to see Asgore sitting in a chair near the foot of the bed. He sets down a book. Looking around you realize that you’re in a hospital.

“Howdy,” His voice is low and soft. He’s wearing an oversized pink shirt and jeans. From the dark circles under his eyes, it looks like he didn’t get much sleep last night. “You had quite a night… How are you feeling?”

You look at him flatly. Taking stock of your current position, throbbing fingers, and sore muscles you weigh that against the common sense not to be sarcastic to your boss.

“Not great.” You mumble.

“Would you like me to get a nurse?”

“I could use some water…” You croak.

Asgore comes around the bed and gingerly picks up a cup on your nightstand. “I was told that you bruised your tailbone and should not sit upon it. I have some ice chips. Will that do?”

You nod and free your left hand. It’s not quite as refreshing as a good gulp of water but it soothes your throat.

“How did I get here?”

“Papyrus saw you leaving and followed you.” Asgore explains, “He called for help when he saw you fall into the underground river and guessed correctly that it would carry you into Waterfall. He found you and uh….”

You watch Asgore’s face, expecting the blank trance to take over. Strangely enough... It doesn’t. Instead, he pulls up a chair and sits down.

“Forgive me. I awoke last night to Undyne gathering a rescue party and shortly thereafter being assaulted by a wave of memories I did not have before.” Asgore runs a hand through his hair, “If you are feeling up to it, could you tell me what happened?”  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Food helps. Its excruciating at first but it centers him. Soothes his overactive senses. Binds him to this timeline and slowly purges any leftover traces of the Void from his system. Gaster is no Persephone. He will eat the pomegranate whole.

His first meal is actually oatmeal. Its as bland as cardboard but a mere lick of it forces him to pass out again. Yet he knows in his bones that it helped and by the end of the day he manages to get down an entire spoonful. It’s a small victory that warms his soul even if it wears him out.

Thankfully the staff recognizes that he’s easily overwhelmed and do not try to treat him like he’s Fallen Down. IV bags of green magic are replaced regularly but they try to do it while he is asleep. Part of him desperately wants to see his brothers. To hug Papyrus again… To tell Sans how sorry he is…. It almost hurts to finally be in the same plane of existence but unable to tell his family how much he loves them. He knows that he has to take this slow. That isolation is the best thing for him right now, but it’s agony. 

Soon, he tells himself, eat another bite and it will be sooner.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three missing fingernails, a bruised coccyx, a dislocated shoulder, and various scratches are the grand total of your injuries. All things considered, you are incredibly lucky.

The hospital in Ebott City is brand new. There simply wasn’t the population to support it prior to the barrier falling. As it stands now, it is a renovated hotel remade by monsters, equipped by the government, and staffed by both. As such the rooms were not made for a lot of people to occupy at one time, but that didn't stop everyone from crowding into your room anyway. Asgore had relayed your story sometime while you were resting. Though they still had questions. The nurses finally let you stay in an upright position. You're currently sitting on a donut pillow and an ice pack, surrounded by flowers and balloons.

“I still don't get it.” Undyne crosses her arms over her chest. “You're supposed to be smart. How was tearing off into the forest in the middle of the night a good idea? Seven humans fell into the Underground for a reason ya know.”

“Eight.” Toriel corrects and Undyne grimaces.

You shrug, “I wasn't thinking. I was angry and confused… and scared. When my notebook was stolen I just snapped, and I didn't come to any of you because I was tired of getting blank looks.” -Everyone has the decency to look embarrassed.- “Has he woken up yet?” 

You don't need to clarify who.

The consensus is no. Apparently, he keeps passing out moments after waking. You’re still a little angry with him, but considering how everyone is behaving… Not with blank stares but with shame and concern, you figure that there’s more to the story than what you know.

“Look… I’ve told you everything. Now I think I'm owed an explanation.” You demand.

Frisk climbs up onto the corner of your bed and looks around expectantly. Asgore and Toriel trade glances. Alphys curls in around herself. Her eyes don’t leave the floor. Sans’s eyelights have gone out and Papyrus looks like he’s about to speak when Toriel interrupts. 

“We are still making sense of it ourselves.” She admits, “I can only speak for myself but it is very disorienting to remember someone while simultaneously knowing of a time when you had no memory of them. I… I do not wish to deceive you. I simply wish to understand before I speak.”

“Wasn’t he was some big fancy scientist that built the Core?” Undyne shrugs, “I… I think I was as too busy training for the royal guard in those days.”

“What about his name?!” You ask.

“his name is wingdings gaster and he was the royal scientist before alphys…”

Everyone's attention is instantly drawn to Sans. It’s the way he said it. When the others talked about their memories it was like they were talking about someone else’s experiences. Sans’s voice holds no hesitation.

“YOU KNEW?” It was the quietest you have ever heard Papyrus speak, but his voice still caries. “THIS WHOLE TIME YOU KNEW???”

Sans flinches like he's been hit. 

“i-i was there.” He admits with a small stutter. He jams his hands into the pockets of his blue hoodie. His shoulders curl in, but continues talking. “i was there when he fell. the explosion… something about the radiation…” -his phalanges scrape over his skull- “i couldn’t forget. even when everyone else did…”

Which means that he knew what he was looking at when the two of you were in the lab. A small part of you is offended that he brushed you off like everyone else, but mostly you’re struck by a wave of immense sympathy. You had questioned your capabilities and sanity after only a few weeks of blank stares. From the Sans’s body language you guess that he’s been dealing with this for a painfully long time. Maybe even years…

“You do not have to speak of it now.” Asgore offers, picking up on the same body language.

Sans shakes his head, “‘s all going to come out soon anyway. might as well make it easier and just explain it now…”

He says that but a long tense moment draws out before he starts talking again. 

“dings… dings was- dings IS brilliant. always has been. it wasn’t really a surprise when he got into NHU as a teen. even though he was takin care of us at the time but well... i was just a kid at the time. paps was just a baby, and dings was still kinda a kid himself… but we made do. i don’t remember our parents….”

“SO HE IS OUR BROTHER?”

Sans looks up at Papyrus and nods. The two share a look for a long moment before he continues, “by the time i got into NHU he’d gotten approval for the Core. remember when it was finally operational? no more brownouts. snowdin finally had reliable heat and hotland air. you could actually read or get around without havin to keep candles nearby in case the lights cut out.” A rueful smile crosses his face, “he was so proud of the thing.”

“We all were…” Asgore’s voice is quiet; recognition glimmers in his eyes. “I…Promoted him to Royal Scientist shortly afterwards. Didn’t I?”

Sans nods.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was ready, or at least... He said that he was. The doctors were reluctant. Gaster’s condition was unlike anything ever documented in monster medical history, and to honest he still hasn’t completely recovered. So he understands their hesitance, but the food has helped. He could stay awake for hours now and when he fell asleep it was due to simple exhaustion rather than sensory overload. 

The Void is well… immense. It was nothing to sustain himself on a pathetic sliver of its energy. Difficult to maintain without losing himself to the darkness but doable. Now he needs to rely on his own magical reserves. To eat and rest like any normal monster…. He still has a negative balance, like a monster that had survived severe malnutrition. In a way he had, but he just can't take it anymore.

Gaster needs to see his brothers

So now he sits up in bed, staring at the hospital door, and waits. The clock ticks away at a maddeningly slow pace, and finally he hears a pair of familiar voices from the other side of the drywall. It makes his soul shutter. 

The door cracks open.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“it was a tough job but dings made it look easy. the barrier was always a problem but he improved so many other things around the underground…. Well, until... everything changed when the chara and asriel died.” Sans explains. The others glance at Asgore and Toriel. Recognition comes to more and more of them as Sans talks. You and Frisk just wait. 

“research on the barrier magnified. there was more pressure to start looking inta’ weapons. asgore didn’t order it,” Sans adds quickly when Toriel glares at the monarch. “but what do you expect from a bunch o’ nerds swept up in the fervor but smart enough to know tha’ they wouldn't last long in an actual fight? they wanted to build the tools to do it for them. if not actual weapons then better traps and puzzles for defense.”

“dings isn’t a violent monster. he tried to make something once, but he hated it... i’d joined the team by then. i’m more of a physicist but we spent a lot of time by ourselves cuz i was one of the few tha’ wasn’t breathing down dings’ neck ta build that kind of thing or pressure the king to approve it. no one was direct about it. he was technically their boss but peer pressure is-” Sans glances in Frisk's direction, “- well peer pressure…”

“so one day at lunch we start throwing around ideas. it’d been a long morning and dings was wondering if there was anything he could do to contribute without makin’ a machine of war. it started out serious but you know me. i… i just wanted to make him laugh, help my bro relieve a little stress.... i start throwin’ out the most ridiculous ideas i could think of... stupid stuff. the sillier the better, and i thought it worked. til he comes to me the next day with … well i won’t weigh ya down with the details, but turns out time travel wasn’t as dumb as i thought it was.”

“W-wait…” Alphys looks up, “So that d-device… D-did I make something to…?” Her face contorts as her words fall apart.

“you’re better at programin’ than either of us, alph. dings knew that the core had more potential then he realized. so the three of us built a few modules that would track its entire energy output and its effect on the magic around it.”

“D-d-darker y-yet darker…” Alphys mumbles.

Sans nods. “besides a several kilometric truckloads of geothermal energy it actually bends fields of magic around it. way more than dings expected it to. we realized that we had a lot of surplus energy to experiment with and… well… those bends…imagine.. imagine bending a sheet of paper on top of a flat surface. it makes a gap. well the gaps around the core were gaps in magic, space, and -as far as we could tell- time... we called it…. the void.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The words just aren’t coming. 

They’re probably too nervous to speak first, afraid to set him off in his fragile state. Gaster knows what he looks like. The crack in his right eye spider webs up and the crack in his left spirals down, mementos from the explosion. He has a solid form again, but the only bones that almost look a normal are from the neck up and his hands. They aren’t quite a healthy shade of white yet but rest are stained a deep oily black. He grasps at the neckline of his hospital gown, mentally cursing the flimsy thing and how little it covers his broken body.

And oh stars they are perfect…. The healthy pearly sheen to their bones almost makes them glow under the fluorescent lights. Both of them look at him with wide perfect sockets. Papyrus has grown so much! Gaster knew that if he could stand he’d only come up to his chest and Sans…. Oh, Sans… Gaster doesn’t need to be hyper-observant to see the shadows left by many sleepless nights, but there are laugh lines too. And those run deeper. They both look well fed and warmly dressed. Gaster drinks in the sight of them as if he’d never get the chance again.

Is he shaking? He-he should probably say something. Okay, his lip is definitely quivering.

Why can’t he say the words? 

He reaches out for them. Maybe if he can sign it, then he can…

Papyrus latches onto his hands, taking it as an invitation. His mitts practically engulf Gaster’s thin bones. Though Papyrus’s grip is gentle. Cradling almost. Oh, good. At least he’s shaking too.

“IT’S OKAY….”

That breaks Gaster. Whatever it was that was holding him back shatters like the barrier. The noise he makes is somewhere between a cry and a wail. Then Sans is suddenly on his other side hugging him tightly around the shoulders. His skull burrows in the crook of Gaster’s neck. Papyrus lets go of his hands to encircle them both. Gaster can feel the sharpness of Pap’s cheekbones on the top of his skull. They cling to him so much that he’s lovingly crushed between two sets of rib cages, but they’re both so warm. His brothers are safe and happy to see him. Soon all three of them are a mess of tears and sobs.

“I-I’m so… so sorry….” Gaster chokes out.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“we didn’t tell people what we were doing. could you imagine how crazy it would’ve sounded? still does, but dings was onto something. he kept sayin’ that we had the power to do it. we just had to find a way to use it, but i…” Sans sighs, “but i could never really believe it myself. the math was sound. i did most of it myself, but i just couldn’t go along with it all. too many variables…. what was the use of studyin’ the barrier spell as it was cast in the past so we could reverse engineer it in the present if we couldn’t get back home…. how could you stop the war from ever happening without changin’ everything includin’ bein’ born. And don’t get me started on the research we did on timelines… the idea of transporting us all to a space and time where the war never happened or humans never existed was just…. it was out there even for dings....”

“at first i tried to keep my criticisms constructive, but the longer it went on…” Sans trails off and looks at the floor. “the more we ended up fighting...”

“I-I s-started backing a-away from the project. D-didn’t I?” Alphys stutters, “I’m s-sorry Sans. I-it doesn’t excuse my behavior b-but I remember it feeling so awkward.”

“i don’t blame ya alph. i was tryin’ to do the same thing, and dings and i are family.” Sans shrugged, “ i…. we got into another fight. the night it happened…”

The small skeleton takes a deep breath before he continues. You can almost see the series of events replaying before his eyes. 

“it was late. we were both tired and upset to start with. the apartment the three of us had in new home wasn’t big enough for us to really avoid each other. we… I... said somethings…. he snapped back. tried to bring up some ideas he had for more experiments, but i wouldn’t listen. i… i told him that i was done with his crazy project and if he wanted to continue then he’d have to do it by himself. so he did…”

“he left and i waited. i couldn’t just go to bed. i was still angry but i was worried too. i knew that dings was in no condition that night to be workin’ but… i was too prideful… i didn’t want to follow him and contradict everythin’ i just said… but I should’ve….” Sans half-growls and stops 

He takes another breath and continues on. “eventually i got impatient. started pacing around, and spotted some of dings’ notes on the counter. heh… told myself that i was just pickin’ up, like paps always wanted us to do, but readin’ through them i-i found a mistake… and another…”

The room is quiet. You could’ve heard a pin drop.

“i got to the core as fast as i could, but smoke was already starting to pour out the exhaust vents. i tripped more than once getting to the main control room…”

“We thought it was an earthquake….” Asgore whispers.

“there was an explosion and i found dings dangling from a support beam. dust pouring from his face. most of the floor was gone and the interns he’d roped into helping him were already lost…. it was chaos…. i tried to pull him up.” Sans stares at his hands, “i tried but… one of the computers that was still operational started screaming. it must have been some sort of warning alarm… dings knew what it meant. he pushed me away. there was a secondary explosion and… he was gone.”  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Gaster sobs.

“n-n-no dings. there’s nothin’ to be...” Sans only hugs him tighter. Gaster could barely hear him. “i’m sorry too…”

“YOU ARE BOTH SO DUMB BUT I LOVE YOU!” Papyrus cries. He rocks back and forth and holds on as tight as he can. For what feels like forever none of them move and they stay a blubbering mass of skeletons. 

Gaster laughs. He could pass out from the sheer relief and joy. “Yeah… I...I love you both... And I missed you so much…”

“same.”

Gaster’s laugh turns into a hiccuping giggling fit. Leave it to Sans to use the least amount of syllables possible. 

“Sans, you reached a word quota recently?” Gaster asks between laughs.

“you could say that…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Specific Trigger warnings: Hospitals, Mention of Characters (including the reader) being injured - though not in graphic detail, Flashback containing an explosion and falling (again not in graphic detail) 
> 
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> * A Magogram is the amount of magic used to make one bullet (or friendliness pellet)
> 
> So I struggled a lot while writing this chapter. I don't consider Sans a very talkative character. At least not talkative about things that _matter_ , but given the situation I thought it would force his hand. So I hope that came right, and I would also like to point out some of the influences for Gaster in this story. The part about Gaster's bones (besides his neck, face, and hands) being stained black from the void was inspired by this ask blog. ((((http://man-who-speaks-in-hands.tumblr.com/))) The artist is really talented and tells an amazing story. Check them out if you haven't! Though the idea was just too charming to pass up, so i decided to include it here. That's going to be a thing moving forward. :D 
> 
> Anyway hope you're enjoying this emotional roller coaster so far!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it. You finally get a chance to talk to the infamous Dr. WD Gaster. Why do some questions only lead to more mysteries?  
> Also... Hospital shenanigans. Just because you're bored.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Soooooooo... Yeah.... That was quite a "survey". Don't worry! I won't spoil anything here and it certainly won't affect this story. It's kinda funny though. I was so scared that it would change everything, but hey- Guess that's Toby for you! Anyway I see no reason to put an AU label on this fic yet. I'll just keep trucking along. :D
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter!

You aren’t sure which is more painful, physical therapy or waiting outside this door.

About two weeks had passed and things had more or less gone back to normal. You're still on mandatory vacation but at least now it's for different reasons. Your injuries would heal over time, but it was decided to keep you at the hospital for monitoring. No one knew if the room beyond the gray door was part of the Void or if it would have any effect on you. So for the time being, you were stuck here.

Alphys came by every once in a while and the two of you would brainstorm. However, when she left she had to take any materials with her. You can’t really blame her. It's a measure that's meant to make sure you rest, and that fall really did a number on you.

Your shoulder would take about two to three months before it fully healed. Though the sling that keeps your arm out like you're offering a cup of coffee would only be required for one more week. Plus it hurt to write or type because of your missing fingernails. At least you didn’t have to sit on an ice pack anymore. The donut pillow was going to be your companion for a while, and for a bookish person like you this was the worst part of your injuries. Because you simply couldn’t sit and read away the recovery time. 

The nurses encouraged you to be active. Anything to keep you off your bruised backside. Naturally, you had taken to wandering and given how few long-term patients were present at this new hospital, it didn’t take you long to find HIS room.

The door had remained closed for the longest time. News had been limited to the Font family and monster monarchs. 

Until now… 

You shift your weight from one foot to another. Apparently, Gaster is awake. He talked to his family and his lieges. Now he wants to talk to you, and you could think if a few things you want to ask the ex-royal scientist.

The door cracks open, and you see Papyrus on the other side. “GOOD MORNING DOCTOR!”

“Hey Papyrus.” You smile up at him. You had seen him in the halls more often than not. He was usually the one to grab supplies or a change of clothes for himself and Sans. He practically radiates optimism.

“COME ON IN WE’VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU!” He steps aside as you come in.

The room is identical to yours but you barely notice it. Instead, your eyes are drawn to the monster in the bed. Sans is in a chair cutting up a crab apple.

Gaster looks… Well, he looks more like a skeleton monster rather than a goop one now. If Papyrus is made of sharp angles and Sans is all circles, Gaster is somewhere in between. His head is egg shaped but he has obvious cheekbones and a defined nasal arch. Cracks web outwards from his eyes, just like you remember. Though like his brothers, Gaster only resembles a skeleton. His face is more fluid and can shift expressions like anyone else can. It's as if his bones have an elastic property to them. The arches above his eye sockets act as eyebrows, and the area around his mouth moves like lips. You’re still amazed that skeletons can blink. 

He would be taller than you if he could stand and you notice that the bones that had been covered by his oozing ‘robe’ are stained black. Of course your only comparison for ‘normal’ skeleton monster anatomy are Sans and Papyrus. That isn’t a large sample size. Neither of them had holes in their hands as far as you could tell.

You don’t feel about bad about staring because you can see -and practically feel- Gaster’s eyelights doing the same. You don’t blame him. Last time you met, you’d been a screaming ball of bleeding rage. At least this time you had the chance to make sure your hair looks nice. 

“Um… hi.” You keep your voice soft and you wave. Given how last time went, you decide it's best to stay on this end of the room. 

Gaster shyly waves back. He says something but the words that come out of his mouth sound more like computer noises.

“Um…?” You don’t hide your confusion.

“WE SKELETONS CAN SEE EVERYONE’S WORDS AS THEY TALK, INCLUDING OUR OWN! THAT FONT IS HOW WE TALK,” Papyrus explains, “AND IT’S HOW WE’RE NAMED.”

“Really?” You ask. Guess that’s why anyone would name a child ‘Wingdings’. “So… What font do I talk in?”

Sans laughs, “it ain’t a personality thing. you talk in the same font everyone else does. skeletons are just different that way.” 

“Oh… Wait.” Your expression deadpans and you glare at Sans “Don’t tell that you’re COMIC Sans???”

Sans’ grin only gets bigger, and you can’t help yourself.

“Gah! Your name is a pun too! Your Name!” You groan.

After a start both Sans and Gaster burst out laughing at your reaction. Papyrus pats your uninjured arm. His face is the picture of pained solidarity.

“WELCOME TO MY LIFE…”

“it's un-pun-evable.”

You and Papyrus groan in unison. Gaster starts laughing again. At least someone is enjoying it. It's such a strange sound but pleasant in its own 80s synthesizer way.

Gaster moves his hands and you realize that he’s using sign language. You’ve had nothing but time to brush up on it. So you can understand him without translation.

‘It is good to meet you, Doctor. Please forgive me for keeping you waiting.’

“No. I, uh… Understand completely.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Gaster doesn't know what he was expecting but you aren't it. He knows that his perceptions of that night are flawed. Hell, the sheer act of removing him from the void had been traumatic but you seemed so… nice. For a moment Gaster has a hard time reconciling the small bruised human in a hospital pajamas before him with the angry spitfire that had woken him up with the most forceful rescue in the world.

Bookish, reserved, and a little on the quiet side you joke around with his brothers with ease. He can't help but laugh. Your exaggerated antics are almost as bad as Papyrus’s, and Sans can't help hamming it up with the puns. You have that sharp spark to your eyes though, something that shines through the bandages. Gaster knows that you are scanning for as much data as he is.

‘I know you have questions but would you mind if I asked one first?’ he signs.

“Sure.” you nod.

‘How?’

“How did I get you out?” You clarity and he nods. For a minute you look uncomfortable and you shift your weight from one foot to another. Papyrus offers you a chair but you decline it. Mentioning something about a bruise.

‘I'm just confused.’ Gaster adds, ‘Grateful - immensely grateful - but confused. You shouldn't have been able to touch me, let alone drag me…’

“To be honest… I don't really know.” You shrug. You try to cross your arms over your chest. Then remember the sling and don't. “I… I was hyped up on adrenaline and endorphins, and angrier than… Well more angry that I've been in a long while.” You let out a rueful chuckle. “You probably guessed that by my, uh- word choice.”

Gaster snorts and Sans quirks an eye ridge at him. Gaster may have left out your curses when he explained what happened. 

Though he would vividly remember you calling him a son of a bitch till the day he died.

‘Yeah… just a little.’ Gaster signs but he’s smirking.

“To be fair, you did creep me out and steal my notebook. It was like I was in some sort of horror movie.” You tease back.

Gaster’s hands freeze. 

What notebook?

‘I didn't take your notebook. Correcting that one equation exhausted me for weeks.’ He signs. 

You look confused but remember that day in the lab.

“Which was scary as hell by the way.” You frown but there’s a questioning gleam to your eyes.

‘Yes it was and I'm sorry.’ He apologizes, ‘I did not think you would see my reflection nor remember it if you had.’

“Okay…” After thinking about it, you concede the point. “But it had to be you. I found the notebook right in front of the gray door…”

‘I don't know how it got there. My reach did not extend that far. The void is limitless but even there my view were confined to the Underground…’ Gaster explains.

For a moment everyone is silent. You face pales.

“HUMAN ARE YOU OKAY?”

“Yeah…” Your voice sounds small and far away. “but do you think I could use that chair now? I think I need to sit down…”  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You’re used to problems that only created more questions, but not like this… It’s possible that Gaster’s extraction could have messed with his memories. After all he had no idea how he managed to move the marker in the lab. He agreed that he did it, but had no idea how. Gaster just said that at that moment he knew he could fix your math, so he did. How it worked that time instead of during the years upon years he spent trying to reach out to his brothers was a mystery.

There were parts of your memory missing too. It wasn’t much but you don’t know how you dislocated your shoulder. Gaster said you slammed it against the border between the Void and Underground until it let him through. How that was possible or how it could even work was another mystery. 

The others thought it was Determination -with a capital D- and explained that it’s a fundamental property of human souls. You can’t comment on that but your best guess is hysterical strength. Which was fun to explain to a bunch of monsters. Between the youtube videos and their stories about the war, they looked convinced that humans are tiny juggernauts.

Gaster wasn't completely convinced but neither were you. Magic was… something else…

Wandering down the hall, you hear a clunk. Then a bunch of plastic rattling on the floor and an angry beeping noise from Gaster’s room.

You poke your head around the door. “Need a hand?”

‘Yes…’ Gaster signs dejectedly. He's still bedridden and looks like he's trying to clean up a spilled water glass on his tray. A chessboard lies on the floor and the pieces are rolling around the linoleum.

He looks up at you a quips, ‘My armies are spread too thin.’

“I could leave you know…” You deadpan.

He laughs, ‘No, please! I surrender.’

You're not sure if that's another pun but you help out anyway. It's slow going since you only have one good hand.

“Where’s Sans and Papyrus?” You ask while you work. They rarely leave their brother's side and this is the first time you'd seen him alone.

‘Frisk requested their assistance for some ambassadorial task.’ Gaster replies. He dries off the table and starts setting up the board as you bring the pieces.

You hand him the last one, “Playing by yourself?”

He nods. For a quiet moment, you just watch him set up the pieces. He doesn’t say much and to be fair, neither do you. The plastic pieces click as they’re set in place. Sunlight streams in from the open blinds. A breeze ruffles the tree leaves outside, and well… You fully realize that the two of you are alone. No bystanders, families, or nurses.

This was your first opportunity to get to know Wingdings Gaster. Come to think of it, you’d talked about him with others more than the monster himself.

But before you start with small talk there was something you need to get off your chest.

“Hey, um…. Can I-?” You make the decision but feel your confidence waning the moment you start talking, “I wanted to say something.” 

‘Sure. Fire away.’ Gaster doesn’t even look up.

“... I’m sorry.”

That gives him pause. He looks up at you, confused. ‘For what?’

“For how I treated you when I pulled you out of the void.” -His eye sockets widen- “I mean I don’t regret pulling you out!” You add hastily and you can feel your face heating up. God, you could have worded this better. “It’s just… I’m glad it worked, but how I went about it… How I shouted at you and dragged you was incredibly rude. And mean... You didn’t deserve that. You don’t deserve to be treated that way. No one does and I just... wanted to acknowledge it.”

For a full minute he just stares at you.

‘That’s nothing to apologize for.’ He signs, ‘For all we know, everything you did may have been required to free me. Cursing and all.’

“That doesn’t make it right.” You insist. Part of you can’t wait to get this stupid sling off. You keep forgetting about it and looking like a dork when you try to cross your arms. “I mean I’d do it again, knowing that it helped you but… My behavior was rude and mean, and not who I am. So… I’m sorry.”

He stares at you for a long awkward moment before the corners of his mouth curl into a smile. ‘Okay... I forgive you’

The tension leaves your shoulders “Thank you.”

‘I am sorry I scared you in the lab.’ He adds, ‘While I had no control over how the environment reacted to my presence, it must have been terrifying to witness. That is not who I am, and you also did not deserve to be treated that way.’

Now it's your turn to stare blankly. You weren't expecting that and it's kind of a copy of your apology. But it's still nice. “Totally forgiven.”

He nods and looks back at the chess pieces.

You’re not really sure how to follow up after this. Maybe you should leave while you're ahead. “So... I’ll leave you alone now. Have a good-”

‘Doctor…’ Gaster interrupts you and when he’s sure he has your attention he indicates the chess board. ‘Do you want to play?’

You smile. “Sure.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
What a strange human…. Gaster moves his legs out of the way and you climb up onto the foot of his bed. You arrange your donut pillow and settle in. With how he set up the board, you’re white and he’s black.

“Soooo…” You push a pawn, “How are you doing? I'm not keeping you up, am I?”

‘Oh no, I'm fine. Between this,” He jabs a thumb at the IV bag of green magic, “and eating properly my reserves are almost full.” 

“That’s good. Green is… Healing magic, right?” 

Did Gaster imagine it or did you hesitate to say the word ‘magic’?

‘It is.’ He takes your pawn.

“I’m curious. Is magic the only kind of medicine that monster’s practice?” You take his with a knight. Gaster knows that you’ve been living around monsters for a while. Maybe you have a hard time grasping matters of the arcane. 

‘We’re very dependent on external healing magic. It’s what we’re made of, so chemicals wouldn’t help. Small injuries -like a papercut- may heal on their own using the monster’s inherent energy. Sleep also helps because it replenishes that same energy, but for the most part.’ he indicates his cracked face. ‘True breaks that aren't healed quickly never will.’

“Oh… I'm sorry.” You apologize. Still... From the recognition in your eyes, it seems that you understand more when he replaced the word ‘magic’ with ‘energy’. Interesting...

‘Don’t be. I'm alive.’ Gaster takes a knight and you take his bishop. 

You’re considering more than the game when you glance at his legs, “Does that mean…?”

‘I'm scheduled to start physical therapy soon.’ Your queen forces Gaster to retreat, ‘My legs aren't broken, just unused to actually bearing my weight. I’m both looking forward to therapy and dreading it.’

“But you were standing in the gray room…” You question.

‘An illusion.’ Gaster waves off. He considers his next move and takes a pawn. ‘The void is raw energy and vast nothingness at the same time. I don’t think gravity worked quite right.’

“That… sounds terrible.”

‘Absolutely.’

Your fingers curl in the sling. “Well imagine that all the therapists are Papyrus. Makes it easier to listen to the cheerleading and do another repetition.”

Gaster chuckles. ‘I will keep that in mind.’

He wins the first game, and you the second. It occurs to him that you were trying to make small talk, and he turned it into a lecture.

“Soooo….’ He draws out the sign much like you had drawn out the word earlier. ‘What’s your favorite color?’

Lame. Gaster mentally chastises himself and glares at the chess board. Were his social skills really that rusty?

You smirk, “Not going to ask me the airspeed velocity of a laden or unladen swallow?”

Gaster quirks an eye ridge. That's clearly a reference but he doesn't know what for.

“Oh?” You put your hand over your chest in mock outrage. “Don't tell me you've never watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

‘No…?’

You slide off the bed. “Give me a minute. We're going to remedy this.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The blankets tangle as Gaster kicks out his feet with laughter. You're laughing too but it's more from his reactions than the movie.

‘Tim…’ Gaster’s synthesizer laugh bounces around the room. He moves his hands with such small shaking movements that your mind’s ear hears it as a small squeaky voice choked with mirth. ‘The mage’s name is Tim…!’

The character is supposed to be a sorcerer but you don’t correct him.

“Oh wait, there's more!” You grin. 

‘Killer rabbit?’ He looks so confused, ‘Aren't those herbiv- OH! Oooh! Eeeeeeew…’

You can't help it. The look on his face is priceless and you're laughing so hard that it rattles the tray table and your iPad.

‘Oh Stars...! This is...! EEw! Wait… Was that a puppet? How cheap is that paint?’

“Run Away! Run Away!” You quote in time with the movie, mimicking the accent perfectly. 

‘How many times have you watched this?’ Gaster laughs.

“It’s a classic!” You defend, “But ssssh! We’re getting to my favorite part!”

He obediently does so, wiggling his shoulders to snuggle back down into the blanket. It’s kind of adorable.

‘The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch?’ Gaster repeats. Oh, now that’s a sign you need to remember. He turns to you as you’re moving your hands, trying to mimic it. ‘Is that a thing?’

“Of course not!” You laugh.

‘No, wait…. You sign it like this.’ He reaches out to correct your form as the chanting music starts to play. His fingers are long, and as hard as you’d expect bone to be. But surprisingly warm. He moves with firm precision and the pads of his fingers glide over your skin as you move.

“....what on earth are you two watching?” Sans stands in the doorway, silhouetted by the hallway lights. It was almost harsh compared to the dim lighting inside. You pull back your hands. Wait… When did it get dark?

‘Shhh! It’s getting to the good part!’ Gaster hushes him. In a blink, Sans teleports to Gaster’s other side.

“did he just use ‘blow thine enemies to tiny bits’ and ‘mercy’ in the same sentence?”

“‘SHHH!’” You and Gaster say together.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A month… A whole month’s worth of time… Wasted.

You put your iPad on the nightstand and flop backwards onto your bed. This really isn't necessary. You were fine. Nothing was broken. Your bruised coccyx was getting better, and you were even out of the sling. You still had physical therapy appointments and the nurses said that it would take half a year to grow your nails back. But you really didn’t need to be in the hospital. Plus the old, “void might've affected you we better keep you under observation” excuse was wearing thin. At least you weren’t paying for the hospital bills. All of it was covered by your contracts with King Asgore and the Government, but still…!

You were going stir crazy from boredom.

And the worst part is that the monsters have you pegged dead to rights. If they let you out the first thing you’d do was go back to work or sneak back in if you had to. Your attempts to hide away notes during your bi-weekly meetings with Alphys proved it. So they kept you here to make sure you ‘rested’ on your mandatory vacation.

“Uuuuuhhhhhh…” You groan and grumble. “Come on, people. You don't get this many phD.s without becoming a workaholic! I need something to do! I need…"

To know what the heck Gaster was doing.

You sit up in bed and zero in on the skeleton. He’s in the same hospital pajamas you’re in but he’s hard to miss. Rolling across the hallway in a wheelchair and trying to look innocent, he's slowly making a beeline for the nurses’ station. The way his sockets keep eyeing the computer is a dead give away. Your mattress squeaks as you slip out of bed and follow him.

Between the mix of human and monster staff, neither of you two stick out. Plus everyone has seen you milling around, so it doesn't raise suspicion. Gaster doesn’t appear to notice you yet. He rolls up to the station and casually scoots closer to the computer. It's around noon, so most of the nurses are trading off for lunch. The desk is practically empty.

Gaster makes a flicking motion with his fingers and you gasp as a blue hand materializes out of thin air. It's skeletal, almost transparent, and has a hole in the palm exactly like Gaster’s real hand. He gives it a small grey box and you watch as it floats up towards the monitor, plugs it in, and hides it behind a rope of wires. 

A nearby Doctor in blue camo looks over and frowns. You don't like the way he's glaring at Gaster, nor his handlebar mustache. There’s just… something about his expression that gives you the heebie-jeebies. He shoves a paper chart into a bunny nurse's hand and shouts, “Hey! What are you-?”

“Hey Gaster!” You interrupt. The doctor’s attention is drawn to you as you jog forward. Gaster flicks his fingers again and the blue hand vanishes. You can see the shock in his eye sockets.

“Did you find that chess piece?” You ask and silently hope he plays along.

‘Yup.’ He signs and his expression relaxes. A blue hand reappears with a pawn in its grip. You notice that its the opposite hand as the one that had plugged in the device. ‘I'm surprised it managed to roll all the way out here.’

“I know, right?” Damn the two of you should have been actors.

The military doctor huffs. He glares at the both of you and growls loud enough for everyone to stop and hear, “Yeah, well. People are trying to work here. If the two of you are so ill, you should probably be resting instead of wasting your beds.”

‘Sorry, sir.’ Gaster signs but you can see a tightness to his expression. You take the handles of his chair. It's more for your sake than Gasters. It wouldn’t do to tell this military doc where he can shove this half-empty hospital.

“Let’s finish that game in my room.” You say a little too cheerily and steer Gaster away. Once inside you shut the door.

“What was that?” You ask immediately.

‘I don't know what you're talking about.’ Gaster shrugs. Even though you’re not facing him the magic hands reappear to sign for him. You’re surprised how easy it is to read them.

“Doctor Gaster…” You deadpan.

‘Fine. Fine.’ Gaster wheels himself further into the room and turns to face you. The extra hands continue to sign for him. ‘That doctor is a prick.’

“Obviously.” You shrug. Part of you really wants to ask about the hands, but this might be more entertaining, “What does that have to do with-?”

Gaster pulls out a small laptop from a backpack hanging from his wheelchair. ‘It does not take a genius to hack employee records. Just a connection…. And I don’t know about you but I -for one- am tired of watching that joke of a physician be a dick to every monster on the floor.’

You cock your head to the side. Well, if you weren’t allowed to do any work what better way to spend your time off than to mess with a racist. You offer your services, “Need an accomplice?” 

‘No but a colleague is always welcome.’ Gaster signs absentmindedly as he boots up the computer.

That was… Sweetly endearing. You smile and pull up a chair. For the next hour or so the two of you look up human diseases. The look on Gaster’s face is priceless, but the goal is not to gross him out. So instead you explain things as academically as possible when he looks confused. You’re pretty good at it, despite being outside your field of expertise. Latin was latin you suppose.

“This!” You smirk and point to the screen, “Give him syphilis and this!”

‘Hand-and-foot-in-mouth? I don't even know what either of these things are…?’

“One is a sexually transmitted disease and the other is something that babies get when they put dirty things in their mouth. Trust me it's an odd combo that will keep the gossip mill going for weeks.”

‘... ‘ Gaster blinks owlishly You practically watch him add 1+1 in his head, ‘I like how you think.’

“I’m glad you concur.” You smile.

‘Indeed.’ Gaster chuckles and pulls up the employee database. You watch him fly through department sections and pull up the pharmacy as well.

“What’s that for?”

‘Employee records are secret,’ Gaster hums, ‘But what’s called into the pharmacy for you is filled by an actual person, and this is a small town after all.’

“Oh my.” You grin, “Brilliant addition Doctor.”

‘Why thank you, Doctor.’

The two of you giggle like school children and by the end of the day so are half of the nurses. Tomorrow you practically hear Doctor Douche yelling all the way from the pharmacy on the ground floor. The hack is eventually discovered but it’s never traced back to you and Gaster. Instead you simply watch the drama unfold. It’s almost as good as a soap opera.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘I don’t even have muscles.’ Gaster gripes. ‘So why is this so hard?’

“IT IS DIFFICULT BUT I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, BROTHER!” Papyrus exclaims. There’s a wide smile on his face. Well, a wider smile than usual. He sets down your tray, then Gaster’s, and finally his own. You had tried to carry your own food but it’s hard to say no to that face.

“Isn’t the first few days mostly range of motion exercises?” You ask. Gaster’s wheelchair is locked in place so he can’t accidentally roll away and you’ve already taken your seat. The cafeteria used to be the hotel’s conference hall. Traces of the old decorations and wallpaper show through the stainless steel appliances, and to be honest you're completely comfortable here. It reminds you of your old routine on the conference circuit.

‘It is.’ Gaster deadpans. ‘So it's pathetic that I find ‘range of motion’ exercises difficult…’

“YOU CAN’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF! YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO BE AT PEAK PHYSICAL CONDITION- SUCH AS I AM- AFTER THE TRAUMA YOU’VE SURVIVED.” Papyrus insists, “BUT I KNOW YOU'LL BE UP AND ACTIVE AGAIN! BELIEVE IN THE PROCESS AND IN TIME YOU WILL GET BETTER!”

Gaster jams a spoonful of peas into his face and grumpily signs, ‘It feels like all I can do is wait…’

You make a sympathetic noise. “I think you need a pick me up.”

‘Like what?’

“Well…” You bite your lip. Gaster is a monster with a good sense of humor. Maybe another prank? Something harmless? That might do the trick but you keep drawing a blank. You look to Papyrus for help. He scratches his mandible. 

“I KNOW JUST THE THING!” He exclaims and stands. It draws a few stares but he doesn’t mind. 

“What're you thinking?” You ask.

A sly look crosses Papyrus’s face and he leans in to whisper, “WELL YOU COULD SAY…. THAT I AM THE MASTER OF JAPES. ” 

With that said Papyrus practically leaps out of the cafeteria. It looks like he ought to have knocked someone over in his haste, but the monster is a master of gravity. You wonder if he's heard of parkour.

You and Gaster trade glances, and you mouth the word ‘japes?’. Gaster nearly snorts his peas.

‘This ought to be good…’ He smirks. You're confused but he doesn't elaborate. The two of you finish your lunches by the time Papyrus returns -just as energetically as before- with a box in his arms.

“I SWEAR SANS BUYS THESE BY THE CRATE LOAD. HUMAN! I WILL REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE!” He sets the box down in his chair.

You look inside and laugh, “Oh my God…”

Gaster tries to crane his body around to see, but the table and his locked wheelchair block him.

“NO BROTHER! YOU WILL RUIN THE SURPRISE.” Papyrus chuckles and leans the box away from him.

You grin, “What can I do?”

“HOW ARE YOU IN THE ART OF DISTRACTION?”

“I, uh... Will do my best.” You promise.

Looking around you take stock of your surroundings. Besides a handful of patients and family, most of the people eating in the cafeteria are hospital staff. Thankfully you do not see Doctor Douche. However the circular tables are a sea of scrubs, and that was going to make things tricky. Circular tables meant that there were eyes on all sides. What could you do to make everyone face the same direction? You look up and see a standard looking speaker system embedded into the wall.

“Can I borrow your phone?” You hold out your hand and after a moment Papyrus gives you his cell. It’s red and looks like the most high tech Nokia you’ve ever seen. There’s even a cute little bone charm hanging from a loop. “Thank you. Give me a few minutes….”

‘What are you-?’ Gaster signs and tries to read over your shoulder.

Good… The iOS is as basic as you expected.

DING. 

Everyone on call knows that sound and looks up at the speaker. Out of the corner of your eye you see a flash of blue and Papyrus makes a ‘keep going’ hand gesture. More, eh?

“Paging all hospital staff in the cafeteria,” You make your voice as monotone as possible to match the announcements you’ve heard before. You hear your voice transmit over the speakers and there’s even a few groans from the tables around you. Good to know that your impression is accurate. 

“Would you please participate in a brief exercise? If you could stand and face the north wall….” Little bits of conversation rumble through the room. A few people look around. Do they suspect? You pull the phone closer to your mouth and lean into Gaster, using his body to shield you. If he was going to read over your shoulder, then he was going to help. He stiffens as you invade his space. 

Chairs scrape against the floor and one by one the staff stands. Most of them are shrugging and laughing but hey, it’s working. There’s more flashes of blue.

“Thank you.” You drone, “Would you now face the southern wall.”

More grumbling but since they’re already standing they shuffle around obediently. A few of them remind their confused colleagues which way is south. After a final flash of blue, Papyrus puts away the box and gives you a thumbs up.

“And would you now please hokey all about?” You struggle to keep a straight face, and you feel rather than hear Gaster’s snort. The cafeteria erupts with laughter. Looks like they believe that administration fooled them with a light-hearted joke.

“Thank you for participating in this brief exercise. Have a good lunch.” You grin and cut off the connection.

DING

There’s more light-hearted chuckles and talk among themselves. A few Docs grumble about hospital resources while others tell them to lighten up. Then they take their seats again.

Pfffft! PFFF! Pfffft! Pppffffft! PFff! Pffft! Ppppppppppppfffffffffffff!! Pffttttt! Ppppppf!

A chorus of whoopie cushions deflate in unison. Fart noises fill the room. A few people jump or yelp in surprise, but you can't blame them. With so many going off at once the noise is LOUD.

Gaster starts to shake and you pull away to see the biggest grin you've ever seen. He flushes, or at least you think he does. You've never seen someone's face literally glow purple. He clasps his hands over his mouth but through the holes you see his quivering lip. He can't hold it in and Gaster lets out a deep rumbling laugh. It's a freeing sound that feels like it's bubbling up from his toes. He doubles over and even kicks a few times as his synthesizer voice joins the chorus of laughter around the room. 

Something about it makes your heart swell.

Paps pulls you out of your reverie by patting you on the back. He's grinning like he's won a marathon. You understand the feeling. Smiling back you give the taller skeleton a high five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sidenote: I think it's obvious by now that I don't know how sign language works. But I hope this story is still entertaining. Plus, if anyone knows how to sign 'The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch' and is willing to show me. I will scream from sheer joy XD.
> 
> Also, giving credit where credit is due, Gaster's blue ghost hands are inspired by Zarla-s and her comic 'Handplates' (http://zarla-s.tumblr.com/). This is a MUCH different story but seems like a good way of having an essentially mute character interact with a magic world and still be mute. Good ideas are good ideas.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both you and Gaster have recovered enough to be released from the hospital, but neither of you are quite prepared for the surprises waiting for you at the cabins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof! Hope everyone had a good Turkey day or managed to get through it without too much trouble! It's kinda interesting writing about a summer setting when it's starting to get cold outside.

Gaster stares at the crutches. It’s probably a testament to monster anatomy that he's progressed so far so quickly. The human physical therapists were surprised. The monsters PTs weren't but were happy for him all the same. Guess there is a plus side to being a bag of bones.

Sitting on a corner of the bed, his fingers trace over the smooth steel curves and it makes a sharp metallic hiss. The rubber stoppers rest lightly on the floor. He holds them up by the padded armrests.

There's a knock on the doorframe. 

Gaster can see Sans but he asks anyway, “Who’s there?”

“orange.”

“Orange who?”

“orange you glad you're gettin’ out of here?”

Gaster smirks, “Absolutely.”

Sans teleports to the nightstand and picks up Gaster's effects. It’s just a backpack filled with knick-knacks and his laptop. The chess board inside rattles as Sans slings the bag over his shoulder. Gaster slides off the bed and adjusts his weight on the crutches. Out of the corner of his eye socket he sees his brother ready with Blue.

“You know that they wouldn't discharge me if I couldn't at least hobble around on my own, right?”

“yeah… sorry. habit...” Sans shrugs, “it sucks being the oldest. all that responsibility and stuff rubs off on ya’.”

“It's just the worst, isn't it. ” Gaster hums.

“the absolute worst.” Sans agrees sagely. He can only hold the straight face for a minute before a smile breaks through. It's the real kind that makes it to his eye sockets. “stars, it's good to have you back…”

“Yeah…” Gaster says, “It's good to be back.”

Sans leads him towards the door, “c’mon. paps has been cleaning and rearranging furniture for the past week.”

Gaster hobbles after him. Thankfully, Sans is slow and easy to keep up with. As they walk Gaster asks, “Are you sure there's enough room for me in the cabin?”

Sans makes a dismissive noise. “as if we’d let you go anywhere else… paps and i would share a room again if you could make the stairs.”

Gaster snorts, remembering the last time his little bros had shared a room. Both of them had been in stripes but that didn't stop them from nearly dusting each other with pranks and pay backs. Never stick an energetic organizer with a lazy slob.

“Do that and I'll check myself into a mental hospital next.” Gaster says.

“hey!” Sans tries to look offended but he's laughing. The two of them walk down the hallway and ride the elevator down. On the ground floor, they make sure Gaster’s physical therapy appointments are booked and sign the last of the discharge paperwork. It's a tedious process.

But at last they make it to the sliding glass doors. Gaster stops just outside. It's a nice day. The sun is shining. The birds are singing and a breeze carries the smell of pine and golden flowers. There's a military humvee waiting to take them back to the resort. For a moment Gaster stands and lets the sun warm his bones.

Papyrus nearly pulls Gaster off his feet with a tight hug.

“I'M SO EXCITED.”

Gaster coughs “Me too…”

The hospital doors slide open and Gaster hears you ask, “Room for one more?”

You're wearing a pale blue blazer, slacks, and dress shoes. Your hair is pulled up in a cute but professional little ponytail. If it wasn't for the donut pillow and the band-aids wrapped around three of your fingers no one would be able to guess that you’d been injured. Let alone that you were checking out of a hospital today.

Gaster can tell that his cheeks are starting to turn purple. He feels underdressed in a pair old grey sweatpants, flip-flops, and a baggy NASA t-shirt. Paps sets him down and he adjusts his crutches…. Not to mention invalid.

“lookin’ spiffy doc.,” Sans says.

You nervously play with a loose strand of hair. “I didn’t pack anything casual when I came. I uh…. Didn't think I'd have a lot of downtime.”

“funny how that turned out, huh…”

You smirk, “Yeah...”

“C’mon Nerds!” Undyne snatches up the backpacks and nearly throws them into the back of the humvee. “It's time to get you out of this smelly place!”

Gaster winces but moves aside for you. He uses a pair of conjured hands to sign, ‘Ladies first.’

You quirk an eyebrow at him and he wonders if he said something wrong.

‘I may…Might take me awhile to get in.’ Gaster signs and adjusts his grip on his crutches. Yup, he’s definitely blushing now.

Thankfully Sans saves him from his own embarrassment. The smaller skeleton pushes past the both of you and climbs into the very back row. “i’m the smallest. so i should probably be in the back.” 

“Shotgun!” Undyne bolts for the front seat.

In the end, Gaster ends up in the middle between you and Papyrus. Sans is in the back by the backpacks and Undyne is in the front by the driver.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“So Doc!” Undyne pivots around in her seat to face you. The seatbelt twists uncomfortably but she doesn't seem to mind. “Asgore says that you're still on mandatory vacation.”

Your jaw drops. The humvee pulls out of the parking lot and you grab the ceiling handle on reflex. “What?! But it's been-!”

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.” Undyne holds up her hands. You bite your cheek and slump back into your seat. This is starting to get ridiculous. You angrily start thinking of things to say to his highness once you’re back at the resort.

“Hey don’t gripe too much! There's a surprise waiting for ya!” Undyne adds with a toothy grin.

“What kind of surprise..?” You try not to sound sour, but after that first announcement you're wary of the second.

“You got new roommates!” She announces.

“What?”

“OH YES! I FORGOT ABOUT THE HUMAN LAWYERS IN ALL THE EXCITEMENT.” Papyrus hums

“Lawyers?” You feel like a parrot.

“jake and ames…” Sans adds, “they’re kinda cool.”

For the rest of the ride you listen to the others gush about your new roommates. Or at least Papyrus and Undyne gush. Sans comments when he can make a good pun and Gaster is the only one that laughs at them. The rest of you groan.

Jake and Amy Yorkshire are a fairly young couple that married after law school. They had bounced around corporate for a few years before picking up humanitarian causes at the UN. Amy sounds like the brains of the operation. Her specialties include so many different types of law that your eyes glaze over trying to keep up. Meanwhile Jake has a background in civil rights defense. If you had to guess, Amy is the workaholic of the two, but they are expecting their first child sometime this winter. And Jake was psyched to be a stay at home dad.

“Her stomach is like this big!” Undyne gestures “And Toriel says that she's only going to get bigger! Human babies are so metal!”

“I CANNOT WAIT TIL I CAN SEE THEIR TINY SQUISHY FACE!”

“I hope they took over the larger room…” You mumble. When you moved in you had stashed your things in the master closet. Now that you’re sharing with a soon to be family of three, you hope that they didn't take the smaller room out of politeness. You were happy to move if necessary.

“I'M PRETTY SURE THEY DID…” Papyrus hums and scratches his chin. “WE ASSURED THEM THAT YOU WOULDN'T MIND. RIGHT?”

“Oh yeah, totally.” You agree.

The humvee turns into the resort complex and Gaster leans closer to you to peek out the window. You don't mind; you're scanning for two new faces yourself.

Toriel, Asgore, Alphys, and Frisk are waiting for you as the car pulls into the cul de sac. You can see the pieces for monopoly spread out on the picnic table and you catch sight of a huge pie cooling at the other end. A hand-painted ‘Welcome Home!’ sign hands between two cabins.

Undyne gets out first. “Yo look who I found!” she grins. You're close behind and the warm smell of butterscotch cinnamon pie is mouthwatering. Papyrus and Sans take their time helping Gaster get out.

Alphys is the first to come up to you. She stammers a ‘welcome back’ and the goat parents hang back. Toriel gives you a warm smile. Asgore simply nods. You know that your smile is forced and sharp from the way Asgore winces. Toriel chuckles darkly. Either she's on your side or looking forward to watching Asgore get chewed out. Maybe it's both.

Frisk cuts between the two of them and makes a beeline straight for Gaster. Their eyes are bright and determined.

“kid…” Sans tries to grab them but they weave past his grip. When did they get so fast?

They tug on his pant leg til Gaster looks down, and they sign excitedly. ‘I have so many questions!’

“Now, be good my child.” Toriel comes forward. She puts her paws around their shoulders and gently pulls them back. “Being discharged is more tiring than you would expect, and I'm sure Doctor Gaster would like to rest.”

Gaster looks relieved. ‘I would, actually…’

“We will save you a slice of pie,” Toriel promises. Frisk pouts but doesn't protest.

“Did somebody say pie?”

You look over to see a couple coming out of your cabin. Well… Your shared cabin now. They’re about the same height, though the man may be a few inches shorter. Guess this is Jake and Amy. They aren't dressed like lawyers. Though to be fair, it wasn't like you wore lab coats and pocket protectors all the time. Jake is in a Hawaiian shirt and khakis. While Amy is in comfortable looking jeans and a t-shirt with a loading symbol over her rounded belly. She looked like she’s somewhere in the second trimester.

“Jake and Amy Yorkshire, I assume?” You ask. After introducing yourself you add, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“On the contrary, I’ve been looking forward to this for awhile!” Amy laughs. Her handshake is like a vice. “You caused quite a stir around here with that stunt.”

“Oh well… That wasn’t exactly my intention.” You flush. 

“Of course not! But it was still impressive.” She smirks. There's a sharp gleam to her grey eyes despite her rounded face. Her skin is sepia-toned and framed by a bob of thick black hair. 

Now while Amy is physically rounded Jake actually looks soft. His posture is more relaxed. Both his hair and beard are messy brown floofs peppered with red highlights. His cheeks are rosy and there was a cheery look to his blue eyes. He must have just gotten back from somewhere work related since he’s wearing an ID badge on a lanyard. It’s decorated with several pins but one in particular catches your eye. It’s a rectangular flag pin with one white, two pink, and two blue stripes. You’ve seen it before, but where…?

“Sup.” Jake nods towards Gaster. “Hope you're feeling better.’

‘To a degree...,’ Gaster signs with his ghostly blue hands and Sans translates. Jake and Amy must be desensitized to magic by now because they don’t even bat an eye at the ghostly appendages. ‘I'm much better than before but Toriel is right. I may lie down for a bit. Sorry….’

“Oh no, man! We get it! Hospitals are exhausting.” Jake waves off, “See ya around.”

Gaster just nods. Sans and Papyrus lead him towards their cabin and you wait till the blue door closes behind them. Alphys and Undyne follow Frisk and Toriel and help them pack up the board game. Asgore shuffles over to the pie and begins cutting out slices.

Amy lets out a low whistle. “You know, I've had to sign a lot of gag orders in my career but this one was worth it just to hear the story.” She walks to the picnic table and carefully sits down. “An unstable magical geothermal reactor… Being haunted by a monster torn apart through time and space… and pulling him back through sheer force of will… Wow. Just wow…”

“Wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen the security footage.” Jake agrees.

“Yeah…” You flush and shuffle your feet. Wait. There’s security footage? God, you hope you didn't look batshit crazy. That mad chase through the mountain is not something you want to be known for.

“Have you talked to him about it yet?” Amy asks.

You look at her, confused. “Hm?”

Amy gives you a look like you should already know. When you continue to stare blankly she elaborates. “Have you talked to Dr. Gaster about the Core? I mean, he built the thing! And it's going to melt down eventually soooo…”

“Um… No. Not yet.” You admit. Everytime you even think about it, you remember the haunted look in Sans’s eye sockets or Gaster struggling to walk. And it just… Well, it never felt like the right time. Since nobody else had mentioned it either, you figure that the sentiment is shared.

But now that you think about it… Maybe you can't avoid the topic forever. You are still on a deadline.

Speaking of which, you make eye contact with Asgore and glare at him. The conversation with Gaster would have to wait. You have business with the monarch and this seems like a good time to pull him away. Without breaking the look you say to Amy and Jake, “Would you excuse me for a moment?” 

Then you make a beeline for Asgore.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
From the window Gaster watches you corner Asgore. Your expression is nothing compared to the rage that had dragged him out of the Void, but he still pities the monster. You do not look happy.

“BROTHER?”

Gaster turns and sees Papyrus fluffing the pillows in his makeshift room. Each of the cabins come with a couch hide-a-bed in the living room. Here the mattress is unfolded and stacked with soft looking blankets and quilts. Side tables flank either end like nightstands, and there’s a simple Ikea dresser pushed against the wall by the fireplace. His brothers had even used the banisters and a support beam to hang a privacy curtain. It would remind Gaster of the hospital if they hadn’t gone out of their way to find it in a space print.

“YOUR BED IS READY.” Papyrus beams.

“Thank you, Papyrus.” Gaster's crutches clack on the hardwood floors as he makes his way over. He sits gingerly on the purple sheets and Papyrus takes his crutches and props them against the nearest nightstand. Sans takes his flip-flops and puts them with the other shoes by the door. There's a pair of fluffy socks -the kind with rubber traction dots- folded next to an alarm clock and a glass of water. Gaster fiddles with the blanket hem.

“You don’t have to fuss…” he mumbles

“NONSENSE!” Papyrus insists, “NO BROTHER OF MINE RECOVERS FROM A MALADY WITHOUT EXCESSIVE PAMPERING. ISN'T THAT RIGHT, SANS?”

“yup.” Sans nods.

“SO LET ME TUCK YOU IN HERE!” Papyrus helps Gaster get settled in, “AND WHEN YOU WAKE UP WE'LL….” -He scratches his mandible- “WELL IT'S TOO SOON FOR A FAMILY BONDING JOG-A-THON, BUT YOU CAN BE MY CO-CHIEF! I WAS GOING TO MAKE CELEBRATORY SPAGHETTI FOR DINNER!”

Gaster laughs, “Might not be the best job for me. I'm so atrocious at cooking that it defies teaching.” He looks at Sans. “Remember the macaroni and cheese incident?”

“i try not to.” Sans snorts but there’s an odd look on his face. He keeps looking between the two of them.

“HMMMM….” Papyrus squints, “WELL THEN. AFTER DINNER WE CAN WATCH TV INSTEAD. WE’LL HAVE A METTATON MOVIE MARATHON.”

Gaster smirks, “Oh yeah! That clown? His songs are alright but my God his acting is terrible! That’ll be good for a laugh.” 

Neither of his bros do anything, but something feels off. Gaster looks between them. Papyrus’s smile twitches and Gaster realizes his mistake. He’s shooting down his brother’s interests left and right. 

“I-I mean…” Gaster mumbles. His soul sinks. 

“we’ll figure it out later.” Sans interrupts, “say paps, speakin’ of dinner, didn't you say that you wanted to pick up a few things from the grocery store?”

“I DID SAY THAT THING!” Papyrus exclaims a little too loudly and practically leaps towards the door. “AND I DEFINITELY SHOULD GO NOW! BEFORE I FORGET WHAT I NEED! NYEH!”

He practically slams the door on the way out and Gaster can see him dashing off through the window.

“Sans…” Gaster mumbles.

“you, uh…. couldn't see much from the void, could ya?” Sans sighs.

“Glimpses.” Gaster sighs. The mattress dips where Sans sits down. “And even those were jumbled and mixed with other timelines…”

“i see…”

“I… I don't really know Papyrus... Do I?”

“you were trapped for a long time dings. paps has grown up.” sans shrugs, “he's not the same baby bones he used to be.” 

Gaster rolls over and stares at the ceiling. “I don't think he's even said my name. It's always ‘brother’ this and ‘brother’ that….. I'm a stranger to my own family.”

“you're not a stranger dings. paps is… he’s adapting. we all are.” sans pats his shoulder, “we’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah.” Gaster sighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler chapter, but a necessary one! Hope you guys enjoy it so far. :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally getting back to normal! You're back at work, Gaster is healing, and it's about time the both of you picked up a few necessary items. Time to have fun with your friends, but why does Gaster look so pale?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for another short chapter but this one was really fun to write! Time to work what ya momma gave ya! ;D
> 
> P.S. I'm not going to put any warnings for this chapter. If you didn't mind chp 2 then you should be fine with this one.

Pop music fizzles over of the store speakers. Warehouse beams prop up the ceiling. Racks of clothing stand like the walls of a hedge maze, and Gaster is thoroughly lost. 

‘Frisk?’ Gaster signs with the ghost hands. He adjusts his crutches and he turns around. Nothing but clothing as far as the eye can see. Gaster's nose fills with the smell of cotton balls and old leather. He can't see any other shoppers.

‘Frisk?’ He signs again. He picks a direction and starts walking. His crutches click against the white linoleum with every other step.

‘Frisk?’  
Click

‘Frisk, where are you?’  
Click

‘This isn't funny.’  
Click

‘Anyone?’  
Cli-

The hangers on the rack in front of him shift and squeak like nails on a chalkboard. Gaster freezes.

‘Hello?’ He signs. He waits, but nothing happens. There's a gap between the sweaters and musty cotton tops. But he can't see what's behind them. It's too dark.

“Hello…?” He says in wingdings. They probably wouldn't understand him but they should say something. Right? Acknowledge the weird noise..? “Is anyone there?”

Nothing.

Gaster doesn't like this but he's frozen in place. Only the stale music playing overhead marks the passage of time.

He can't stop staring at that inky darkness. Deep… Endless… 

Shifting his weight so he can lean on one crutch, he reaches forward with the other. Everything in him is screaming at him to stop. To not touch it but he can't help himself. The rubber stopper slips between the sweaters.

Suddenly the smell of sulfur is overwhelming. He gags and almost drops the crutch. But something grabs it first, and by extension… him. Gaster screams as it pulls him into-

-his pillow.

Gaster sputters and pushes back from the cotton. He sits up and shakily throws off the blankets. He presses his hands against his sternum. Where it feels like his soul is shaking a million times per minute. 

‘Breathe…’ He tells himself. Skeletons don't need air but the motion steadies him. He stares at the sheets for a minute listing details until he’s grounded again.

“It was just a dream…” Gaster mumbles. “Just a dream.”

Looking around he reminds himself that he is fine. The galaxy print curtains stare back at him. His real crutches lean against the nightstand. He takes them and hobbles over to the window. As he opens the blinds they hiss with a metallic ssshink and allow him to look out into the cul de sac.

Toriel is tending to a small garden of potted plants. There's a new tomato sprout hanging from her porch railing and she's watering the others while wearing a big floppy straw hat. Gaster watches Asgore emerge from his own cabin wearing a terry cloth robe. He picks up the newspaper, shares a stiff nod with Toriel, and goes back inside. Gaster doesn't see any activity from your cabin, but maybe you were already gone for the day? Asgore had relented and allowed you to go back to work, provided you stick to a strict Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm schedule. You had agreed, almost zealously. 

Work… Underground… Core...

No. Nope. Stop. Gaster shakes his head. He's not going to think about this. No more. Not now. Maybe not ever, and that was the end of it! 

Gaster scans the cul de sac, looking for something else to focus on.

Thankfully Papyrus and Undyne jog in. They're both in exercise gear and look like they've worked up a sweat. But they’re both smiling. Frisk sits on Undyne's shoulders. They're signing encouragement and praise.

Undyne drops off Frisk with Toriel. Who takes one whiff and ushers them inside for a bath. Gaster chuckles at the sight. Then he sees Papyrus jogging towards their cabin.

“BROTHER, ARE YOU AWAKE?” Papyrus calls as he opens the front door, “I SAW YOU THROUGH THE WINDOW.”

“I am,” Gaster replies in his font. He ties back the privacy curtain around his makeshift room. “How was your run?”

“VERY WELL! HARDLY CHALLENGING AT ALL! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALREADY A MASTER OF ROCKY SURFACE TRAILS!”

“I'm sure you are.” Gaster smiles. He grabs a seat at the kitchen table

“NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus beams. He goes over to the kitchen and opens the fridge. “WOULD YOU LIKE BREAKFAST? SANS PROBABLY WON'T BE UP TIL NOON.”

“I would. Though perhaps something simple, like cereal.” Gaster suggests. The celebratory spaghetti had been… an experience.

“I SUPPOSE.” Papyrus hums but gets out the milk anyway. He ends up pouring a bowl for himself too. “SAY…. FRISK WANTS TO GO SHOPPING FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND NEW CLOTHES LATER TODAY. THEY SAID WE SHOULD BRING OUR HUMAN FRIEND ALONG TO MAKE SURE SHE HAS MORE THAN JUST WORK CLOTHES TO WEAR. WE SHOULD GO TOO.”

Gaster pales but Papyrus doesn't notice. So he keeps talking. “BECAUSE WHILE MY HAND ME DOWNS ARE GREAT, THEY UH… DO NOT FIT YOU AS ELEGANTLY THAN THEY DID ON MY MAGNIFICENT PHYSIQUE.”

Gaster’s nightmare comes back to the forefront of his mind. 

“WHAT DO YOU THINK?”

It was irrational but he thinks that he should pass. Just for today. It wouldn't be too far fetched to say he wasn't feeling strong enough for it.

“Sure. Sounds fun.” The words come unbidden from his mouth. Surprising him so much that he doesn't listen to Papyrus for the rest of breakfast.  
\-------------

Aaah…. Sweet satisfaction. 

You smile in the back of the humvee and drum your fingers over your laptop's lid. Outside the trees fly by in a blur of greens and oranges. Every once in awhile they thin out and let a shaft of light pass through, but they're fading. You can see the sky darkening as the sunset draws to a close. In your opinion, it's still a little early to be calling it quits for the day but you're not going to argue. The simulation model is complete and you ran a few scenarios today. All of them ended up in digitally rendered meltdown but it was data. Data and information that you desperately need. 

Alphys is happy that you’re happy and the two of you continue to talk about energy conversion all the way back to town. Eventually, the humvee turns into the cul de sac and parks. However you don’t make it three steps outside before Papyrus has you by the shoulders and is steering you back in.

“GET IN FRIENDS! WE’RE GOING SHOPPING!”

“What? Hey!” You protest as Sans takes your laptop, teleports away, and reappears without it.

“dropped it off in your room. chill.” He shrugs. 

Frisk runs up with Undyne in tow. The fish woman picks up Alphys like she weighs nothing at all. She cradles her under her arm and whirls back towards the humvee.

“C’mon Babe! I want to see you in cute clothes!” Undyne declares. 

“O-oh-oh w-well! I-I don’t t-think I w-would-” Alphys blushes a bright shade of orange.

“Babe.” Undyne gives her a knowing look. It’s not disapproving, but more like they’ve talked about this before.

“I-I mean… Ye-Yeah! Let’s d-do it!” Alphys forces a smile. She’s clearly trying the ‘fake it till you make it’ approach to confidence.

“Heck Yeah!” Undyne plants a kiss on her forehead with a loud ‘mwah!’. Alphys giggles and turns a deeper shade of orange. The two of them pile into the back and you see Gaster making his way over.

“You going along with this too?” You ask him.

He shrugs and his ghost hands sign, ‘I kinda need it. Can’t wear sweats forever.’

Is it you or does his smile look forced? 

Papyrus helps the two of you in and then takes the front seat. He beams at the soldier. “DOWNTOWN PLEASE!”

The driver sighs but shifts the car into reverse. “I can’t wait till you people can get your own driver’s licenses.”

“YOU AND ME BOTH!” Papyrus grins. He launches into a spiel about convertibles and highways and the joys of the open road. Which don’t sound like anything you’ve ever experienced on a modern road. Who sells rutabaga jelly?

You roll down the window and ask Sans, “Aren’t you coming?”

“i’ll meet you there.” He shrugs, “i know a shortcut.”

“And what about you?” You turn towards Frisk.

‘I'll go with Sans! That way I know he's coming and not taking a nap!’ They sign and hug his arm. From the look of it, they’re not letting go until he teleports them there.

“ouch, kid. way to lay down the law.” Sans grins

Both you and Frisk roll your eyes.  
\-------

Pop music fizzles over of the store speakers. It’s a little outdated but okay stuff. The shop is a standard box store with warehouse beams supporting the ceiling. Racks of clothing stand in neat rows on the white linoleum. You see a few nice blouses and head for that first.

Frisk shakes their head. 

‘Nope. Not that.’ They sign and steer you towards the jeans and T-shirts.

You sigh but go along with it. Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys are already ahead of you. Their multicolored heads make them easy to spot in the sea of clothing. In the corner of your eye you see Gaster hesitate by the sliding doors. You’re confused but Sans looks like he’s talking to him, so he should be fine.

‘Hey! Hey!’ Frisk waves their hands excitedly to get your attention. ‘How about this? It’s totally cool!’

They hold up a black Hawaiian T-shirt with yellow and orange flames printed on the sides. You snort and almost laugh, but realize that they’re completely serious.

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh….” You’re at a loss for words.

Frisk keeps smiling. How on earth did they find something like this in your size? 

“Sure.” You smile awkwardly and put it in your basket. Because well… How could you say no to that face?  
\------

“you okay, dings?” Sans asks.

‘...’

“dings?”

“Yep. Totally. I’m good!” Gaster lies, but he doesn’t give Sans a chance to question him. Instead, he walks towards the racks. Unlike in his dream, they’re only about waist high. He can clearly see other shoppers and staff. His crutches make the same clicking sound, but he reminds himself that they do that on every hard surface.

Gaster picks a random rack for T-shirts and starts looking. Out of the corner of his eye socket, he sees Sans lingering by the door, but in a blink he’s next to him. Gaster pointedly says nothing and neither does Sans.

“hey, how about this one?” Sans smirks. He holds up a shirt with a periodic table and the words ‘I wear this shirt periodically’ printed on it.

Gaster laughs, ‘Its perfect.’

Papyrus finds a top for himself but then wanders back to his brothers to help them search. After a few moments he exclaims, “OH! BROTHER HOW ABOUT THESE!”

Gaster looks over to see Pap holding up a multi-colored crop top in one hand and a black studded T-shirt in the other. The styles are so wildly different that Gaster wants to laugh. Except this time he has the mind to look at Papyrus’s face to see if he's joking or not.

Nope. Completely serious. Shit.

“Uhhhhhh…” Gaster stalls.

“i dunno bro, i think the truth is _plaid_ and simple here,” Sand grins and pulls out a plaid sweater.

This time Gaster laughs and Papyrus sighs. He deflates and looks between the two of them.

“I SHOULD DISOWN THE BOTH YOU! I HAVE NO BROTHERS!”

“c’mon, bro don't _sweater_ it.” He says holding up an argyle. 

“AAAGH!”

After a lot of puns and suggestions, it becomes obvious that Gaster's tastes lean towards sweater vests and punny joke shirts. All of which make Paps groan. Though they pick up a few button downs and pullovers to round things out. Papyrus even finds a nice grey peacoat in Gasters size. Since it was going to get cold eventually.

However, looking around the pants, Gaster is starts to see a pattern. 

“Hey…” Feeling a little embarrassed, Gaster decides to switch to his font. “How do you two deal with-?”

He holds up the pants up high around his waist and then drops it to his thighs.

“elastic.” Sans smiles, knowing exactly what he meant.

“BELTS,” Papyrus adds sagely.

Neither of those options seem very appealing to Gaster. The things he’s seen with elastic are sweatpants and exercise clothing. Which isn’t his style, but the idea of strapping a piece of leather around his pelvis is… uncomfortable. The chaffing alone would drive him nuts. He was starting to miss his academic robes. There’s a rack of dresses but they’re all so feminine. Which isn’t bad, but they don’t feel right for him.

“Think I could go bunny and pull off the no pants look?” Gaster smirks.

Sans laughs. “... no.”

“HOLD ON! I HAVE AN IDEA!” Papyrus rushes off to the belt section and returns with a small package. “WHAT ABOUT THIS?”

Gaster takes it and turns it over in his hands.

“This could work.” He hums approvingly.

“NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus beams.

\-----

‘Fashion Walk! Fashion Walk!’ Frisk chants and steers their friends toward the dressing room. Undyne is already ahead of them with a blushing Alphys in tow.

“C’mon Nerds! Time to strut your stuff!”

You show your basket to the bemused human clerk and they give you a ticket with the number of items. Her name tag reads ‘Tiffany’.

“You guys go ahead. It's not like I'm trying on anything fancy.” You say.

Frisk looks personally offended. 

'No way!’ They sign, ‘Everyone goes cuz everyone is gorgeous! Rock that casual chic!’

“Y-yeah!” Alphys agrees.

Tiffany looks down at Frisk, “Monster fashion show?”

They give her a thumbs up

“k…” She pulls out her phone out, turns on a playlist, and sticks it into an empty cup to boost the speaker. Lady Gaga starts competing with the overhead music, but the electronic beats win out.

“Done this before?” You ask Tiffany.

She shrugs, “First rule of retail, the customer is always right. And really, when serving monsters just go with it. It's usually more fun that way anyhow.”

Thinking about your own experiences, you can't exactly argue. Though before you can respond Frisk is pushing you towards a dressing room.

‘Fashion START!’ 

Papyrus is by far the best model. He only picked out one shirt but he rocks their little runaway between the stalls. Really strutting it in true Lady Gaga style.

‘Yeah! Boi!’ Frisk cheers.

Alphys shuffles her feet so much that you don’t think they actually leave the ground. At first, she's hunched over and shy. But with each progressive outfit and building praise she starts uncurling, letting everyone see her cute frilly outfits. You join in too and clap as she spins in front of the hall mirror letting the bows in her shirt flair out as. Undyne wolf whistles.

Frisk is next and the more outfits you see the more you realize that they were earnest when they chose that Hawaiian T-shirt for you. Their own outfits are a mix of stripes, sporty things, and sparkly accents. You gotta admire how well they mix gender norms into each gettup. Neither one nor the other. It's impressive, actually.

“Work it punk!”

“LOOKING GOOD MY PLATONIC PAL!”

You had picked out a few jeans and nice looking T-shirts. Some have flower designs. Others are prints with classy splashes of color, and you have a cardigan or two in the basket. Frisk insists that your parade each outfit down the isle. You don’t get into it right away but you’re not shy. You just walk casually down the hallway, but the way everyone claps and cheers for you... It’s exactly the same as they did for Alphys but… Well, it feels nice. You put a little swagger in your next walk and they cheer louder. You laugh and eventually play into the act completely. In the end, you even put on the silly Hawaiian shirt. 

‘Paging the Doctor, because she's looking HOT!’ Frisk signs and gives you double finger guns

“Not that kind of Doctor.” You laugh. Did they just..? After changing back into your clothes you hang back next to the front desk.

It takes Gaster longer to change but he’s on crutches. Thankfully the hallway is wide enough for him to get through comfortably. Though because he’s replacing an entire wardrobe, Frisk acquiesces and agrees to just a few outfits.

He emerges in jeans, suspenders, and a cute button down with little stars and rockets printed on it. The sleeves are rolled up showing off his white and black bony forearms. You kinda dig the suspenders look. Its classy and you cheer along with the others.

“u go dings.” Sans chimes in.

‘Pose! Pose!’ Frisk chants and strikes up their own. It looks like something straight out of Mettaton’s show and you have to laugh.

“kid…” 

‘Pose comfortably!’ Frisk amends and shifts position into something less extreme.

Gaster laughs. He smirks and shifts his weight to one crutch. Balancing carefully he stands up straight and points toward the sky.

“Wahoo!” You cheer.

“Hmm, well ain't he a tall glass of water…” Tiffany hums from her station.

You blink. Come to think of it, you had only seen Gaster hunched over in ill-fitting hospital gowns and ugly pajamas. Seeing him now, standing tall in clothes that actually fit his lean frame…

She isn't wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who caught the references? Gaster's pose is straight outta Hamilton and if anyone got Mean Girl's vibes from Papyrus's line about shopping then you're totally right. Also I will totally stand by the idea that Frisk is a nonbinary fashion icon and every body else better glow up. ;P
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopping done, Frisk and Papyrus head back home but the rest of you decide to unwind at a local watering hole. It's... Interesting to say the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope the holidays are treating you well, and to keep you warm here's some shenanigans from summer side Ebott city.
> 
> Sidenote: I don't think my trick with the extra warnings/chapter notes link is working. Every time I test it, the link takes me back to chp 1. Maybe the staff is fixing something??? Idk, so I'll just put the minor warnings here.  
> This chapter contains: Drinking, swearing, and mentions vomit. But it's not vivid.  
> UPDATE: Nvm it's fixed now. The extra warning system will continue for future chapters.

Purchases in hand, you help the others stuff crinkly plastic bags into the back of the Humvee. Gaster wore one of his new outfits out of the store. His old baggy clothes get stuffed into a bag with all the others, and the skeleton brothers are the last to pile in. The military driver watches everything from the driver’s seat. He doesn't look thrilled but he doesn't complain.

After you buckle up, Papyrus hums. “WHAT A SPLENDID TRIP BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO GET HOME!”

“actually bro, i was thinking of heading to grillby’s.” 

“There are no escorts after 9PM.” The soldier says stiffly. 

Sans shrugs, “it's okay. i know a shortcut.”

“Plus it ain't that far of a walk.” Undyne considers it and she looks at Alphys, “I could go for a burg. How about you babe?”

“It-It h-has been a w-while.” She nods.

“WELL NO THANK YOU FOR ME! I HAVE PLENTY OF HEALTHY NON-GREASY FOOD AT HOME.” Papyrus declines. He turns towards Frisk, “AND YOU HAVE A CURFEW, YOUNG AMBASSADOR. WOULDN’T WANT TORIEL TO WORRY ABOUT YOU.”

Frisk pouts.

“next time kiddo.” Sans promises and then looks to you and Gaster. “what about you two? you wanna come?”

‘I would actually,’ Gaster signs ‘It would be nice to see how Grillby is doing.”

“I'll check it out.” You agree.

“great. see ya there.” Sans smiles and blips out of sight.

You hear a sigh from the driver's seat but the soldier revs the engine anyway. He pulls out of the parking lot and as the buildings fly by you can tell where the old parts of town shift into the newer monster businesses. Their signs are painted with brighter colors and eye-catching fonts. The doors and windows come in varying sizes and shapes. Everything is makeshift and obviously converted from something else. Or hobbled together from spare parts. It reminds you of Toontown in Disneyland. Up the hill you can see the hotels -their uniform architecture almost boring in comparison- mixed in with the trees. The roads are devoid of cars but because everyone you see is on foot the area resembles an open market rather than downtown.

The Humvee stops in front of a brown building sided with vertical wood planks and sporting an asymmetrical roof. The windows are small and tinted with yellow glass. It's probably a holdover from the logging industry and above the door hangs a hand-painted sign. In neat cursive, it reads, ‘Grillby’s 2’

As you all pile out Papyrus insists that the bags are no trouble. He'll take care of them. Undyne promises to bring some fries back for Frisk and the kid gives her an enthusiastic thumbs up. When he Humvee pulls away, Sans peaks his head out of the front door. 

“c’mon in. i saved us a table.”

Inside the logging influences are more obvious. The asymmetrical ceiling is supported by A-frames. Grey rough-hewn wood lines everything from the floor to the walls. One side is stacked with booths which must've been brought up from the Underground. They're far too uniform for this makeshift town. The cushions look too neat and don't match the cobbled together tables and chairs. There are a few lanterns hanging from rusty hooks, but most of the light comes from the overhead bulbs set in corroded tin fixtures or the fire monster behind the bar.

Seeing him, you nearly do a double take. Part of you shouldn’t be surprised. You know by now that monsters come in all different shapes and sizes, but he's made of fire! Like a campfire in a suit! He's literally providing warmth for the entire room. He fills the space with soft orange light and makes it far cozier that this logging shack has any right to be. It's nice. You assume that he’s Grillby.

Your group passes by a bunch of dog monsters. They look like bipedal pomeranians in shorts and mismatched T-shirts. It must be hard finding things in their sizes. Though the couple in matching outfits are cute. They bark as they see Undyne. 

“Keeping out of trouble, ya mutts?” She laughs and has to reach up to snag the tallest one in a headlock. He sheds white fur all over as she noogies him between the ears. As she does so his tail wags and thumps against a table leg.

“c’mon, over here.” Sans directs you and Gaster to a booth closest to the bar. A chorus of barking erupts behind you.

“Pet!” “Pet!”“Pet!” “Pet!”“Pet!” “Pet!” 

“Wow.” You laugh and take a seat across from Gaster. “They look like an excitable bunch.”

“that's the dog squad for ya.” Sans hums. Across the room Undyne looks like she's showing off cell phone pictures. Alphys’s face is turning orange but you can hear the praise and happy yipping from here. 

“Ain't she the cutest!” you hear Undyne shout. "Look at this outfit! Had to buy that one, even if it cost me my other eye!"

“Undyne!!!”

“Very cute!” “Woof!” “Why no video! Can't see if not moving!”

“Looks like we have competition for the nose nuzzle championships!” The couple in the matching outfits pipe up.

“Bah! Competition? As if! We're going to blow you out of the water!” Undyne boasts and the table bursts into another round of excited barking.

You watch the spectacle with a bemused expression.

“Everywhere I go it looks like everyone already knows each other,” You muse, “Was the underground a very tight-knit community?”

Sans shrugs, “eh, you could say that. new home was pretty crowded but out in the boonies like snowdin... yeah it was close, but the dog squad used to work under Undyne in the royal guard.”

Sans waves down a shorter green fire monster in a waitress uniform. 

“hey fuku. can we get a few burgs around here?” Sans asks. He turns to you and Gaster, “unless u want anything else?”

Gaster shakes his head ‘no’ and you shrug.

“Burgers sound good,” You add.

“Can do.” Fuku writes it down on a notepad. She also looks specifically at you and Gaster when she asks, “Are we starting a tab?”

Undyne picks that moment to come back to the table. 

“Heck yeah!” She cackles and pulls out a small stack of gold coins. “Start us off with a bottle of that fire whiskey, will ya!”

“Oh, I'll chip in for that.” You laugh. After everything that's happened in this town, you could use a drink. Plus Asgore wasn't going to let you go back underground tomorrow anyway. What did he expect you to do over the weekend?

You start to pull your card but Fuku shakes her head. She points to a sign on the table that reads, ‘G Only’. You had missed it between the drink menu and the specials pop up.

“technically speaking grillby can’t take dollars. we're not citizens here, or anywhere really.” Sans explains.

“Ever wonder why a third of your salary is paid in G?” Undyne adds as she and Alphys slide into the seats next to you.

“You mean the lead weight in my purse?” You start digging out coins. “Yeeeeeah… Guess that explains it.”

That was a strange addition to your contract and you had meant to ask. But with everything that had happened, it just slipped your mind.

Fuku takes the coins and leaves with the promise that she'll be back soon.

“So how can anyone run businesses then?” You say as you think about licenses, health and safety inspections, and taxes.

“Eeeehhhhh” Everyone chimes in and shrugs.

“I-It’s s-sort of a legal-legal gray area.” Alphys mumbles.

“that’s what jake and amy are here for. among other things.” Sans adds.

“Uh yeah, like… Rights would be nice.” Undyne sneers.

You grimace, “I feel like I should apologize for my species for that one. It really shouldn't be taking this long.”

“Eh, it is what it is.” Undyne shrugs.

“not like you have any control over it.” 

“W-well I can't wait-wait to be rid of the mil-military escorts.” Alphys sighs.

“Oh god yes!” 

“You can say that again.” you agree, “I have a driver's license and I'm half tempted to buy a car to shuffle people around myself.”

The paperwork would be a nightmare, not to mention the dirt roads around the mountain, but you're still tempted.

‘I was curious about that.’ Gaster signs. ‘Do all the drivers have that kind of attitude?’

“Yes!” You, Undyne, and Alphys say in unison. Sans just shrugs.

“i use shortcuts. so it's no skin off my bones.”

You roll your eyes but Gaster looks confused. ‘Why? Why are they so rude?’

“Guess they see it as glorified taxi duty.” Undyne shrugs, “They weren't so grouchy when we first got up here but as the politics dragged on…”

“A-and they realized tha-that we can't complain to their s-superiors.”

“Why not?” You ask.

“No proof.” Undyne shrugs, “And it already looks like we're getting special treatment by getting rides into town. Best not to look like we're whining, it doesn't help the talks.”

“i hear tsunadeplane is bussin’ folks around now.” 

Undyne laughs. In a weird high pitched voice, she mimics. “Not because they like you or anything! Baka!”

Gastner snorts. Sans and Alphys chuckle. You don't quite get it but you assume it's an accurate impression.

Thankfully Fuku returns with your food. Her tray is piled high with the juiciest burgers you've ever seen. Golden brown buns top an aromatic mix of meat, cheese, and bacon. The lettuce is crisp and the onions crunch as you bite into it. Though to your surprise it fizzles on the way down. Much like Toriel's pie or any other monster food you’ve tried since your arrival. You can't help but try to glance at Sans and Gaster as they eat. They're skeletons, so…. Where does it go?

Unfortunately, you can't get a good look without being obvious. The food just seems to disappear as the bring it up to their mouths. 

For a while the lot of you just finish your food. Its good and you lean back with a satisfied sigh when it's gone.

“Now that's some good burg…” Undyne agrees. She reaches for a tall brown bottle and a stack of shot glasses. Fuku must've dropped it off sometime when you weren't looking.

“You ready for dessert punks?” Undyne asks with a mischievous grin. With a flourish she pours a glass and offers it to you. Though a little bit of the amber liquid dribbles off the side. You feel stubborn, so you take the glass without hesitation. 

“Please and thank you.” You say before downing it in one go.

When you think fire whiskey, you tend think of a hard liquor with a hefty dose of cinnamon in it. This actually burns. It doesn't hurt but you can feel it pulse with heat all the way down. 

“Woah!” You cough and keep coughing. You're surprised that you're not coughing up smoke.

“Strong enough to wipe your stripes off, eh!?” Undyne laughs. She starts to slide the bottle towards the other end of the table.

“Another.” 

She blinks, “You sure about that squirt? I don't want you coughing up a lung on me.”

“Absolutely.” You clear your throat and with false bravado you add. “... In fact, since we have the bottle. Do you want to play a game?”

Undynes smiles and a row of sharp crooked teeth peek over her lip. “You mean, do I want to win? Cuz the answer is hell yeah!”

“this oughta be interesting.” Sans lazily hums and grabs a pair of shot glasses. He slides one toward Gaster who also looks bemused.

“wha-what’s the g-game called?” Alphys asks as she reaches for her own.

“It's called, Never Have I Ever, and it's kinda like the truth portion of truth and dare.”

“Lame!” Undyne shouts.

“Hey!” You laugh, “Let me finish!”

You hold up your hand fingers splayed. “Everyone gets to hold up five fingers at the start and we each take turns making a statement. It has to be something you've never done like… ‘Never have I ever flown to the moon’. But if somebody around the table HAS done it, they put down a finger and take a drink. The winner -or loser depending on how you see it- is the person with the most fingers up at the end.”

“Still sounds lame.” Undyne grumbles. Her yellow eye squints at you.

“Depends on what you say…” You reply. “I’ll start. Never have I ever had sex in a public place.”

Undyne's eye goes wide. A blueish green blush rises to her cheeks and beside her Alphys takes a shot.

“You lived in the lab!!!” Undyne protests and her whole face turns green.

Alphys has an orange glow herself. “Not-not d-downstairs on the s-supercomputer!”

“Oh my god!” You laugh. Facepalming, you try to hide your own blush. On the supercomputer? Come Monday you were bringing some cleaners to work.

On the other side of the table Sans takes a shot.

‘SANS!’ Gaster balks. 

Sans just shrugs. “rules don't say tha’ you have to explain.”

Did he just wink at the bartender? It was quick, so you might've imagined it, but you could've sworn…?

Undyne takes a shot and smirks. She looks directly at you and says, “Never have I ever kissed a human.”

You glare, give her the finger, and take a shot.

“HA!” She barks.

“T-this is fun.” Alphys smiles. “N-never h-have I e-ever smo-smoked cigarettes or do-dog treats.”

Sans takes another drink.

‘Wha-!? Okay! Now we need to have a talk!’ Gaster sputters. He folds his arms over his chest and gives Sans a stern look. 

“bro…. no, we don't.” Sans chuckles, “turn down the dadster glare. it's fine. i quit years ago.”

‘But-!’ 

“never have i ever stayed up three days straight to work on a research project,” Sans says pointedly at his brother.

Gaster sighs and takes a shot. But so do you and Alphys.

“Hold on!” Undyne protests. She looks suspiciously at Sans, “I know I'm drinking with the nerd squad tonight. So I call bullshit. You’ve pulled all-nighters before Sans!”

He shrugs, “a single all-nighter sure, but three days in a row? nope. the project can always wait for a nap.”

‘s true.’ Gaster agrees. ‘I'd find him asleep in his desk chair all the time.’

“Fine!” Undyne harrumphs. 

You look at Gaster. It's his turn and he scratches his mandible as he thinks. His ghost hands sign, ‘Never have I ever… Tried the capture a fallen human!’

Undyne takes a shot and Alphys looks conflicted. “I-I didn't try to cap-capture them. I-If anything I w-was rooting for Frisk…”

Undyne glares at Sans again, “You better take a drink, punk! You were a sentry!” 

“sure i'll go with it.” he shrugs and takes a shot. Under her breath, Undyne grumbles something about ‘the worst sentry ever’.

This is a lot tamer than you were expecting, but then again you don't really know how monster sex works. So you don't feel confident making any more raunchy statements. Okay… Maybe it was time to switch tactics.

“Never have I ever had a crush on a monarch.” 

Both Alphys and Gaster take shots at the same time. You blink; that's a surprise!

“O-okay sso I had crushesss on everyone. W-whatss your excussse?”

You weren't sure if Alphys’s stutter was getting better or worse with the alcohol.

‘I was barely out of stripes when I was appointed royal scientist!’ Gaster blushes bright purple. He tries to cover it with a hand but Sans elbows him in the ribs ‘Stop that! C’mon! You know how puberty is! Their Majesties are both just... so nice, and attentive and… tall and… elegant… and well built… I mean… Just look at them! Can you blame me?”

“Oh h-heck naw!” Alphys slurs her words. “The both of ‘em have sssuch sstrong armss…”

Gaster groans and nods sagely. He raises his glass, ‘To the flustered Royal Scientists club.’

“I-I’ll drink to that.” Alphys agrees and clinks their glasses together.

Sans looks into his own. “does it count if i didn't know she was the queen?”

“Ss-sans!” Alphys squeals like a fangirl and Undyne chuckles.

“It totally counts!” You tease. As Sans takes his shot Alphys whispers something about a door. He nods. 

You turn towards Undyne. “What about you?”

“Me?” Undyne balks and makes a gagging sound. “No way! Never knew Toriel before she ran off to the ruins, and Fluffybuns is like my dad!”

“i thought that was gerson?”

“Him too! Two dads is the best number of dads.”

“what about two moms?” Sans smirks. He looks between her and Alphys, and wiggles his brow bones suggestively. “you ever think about that, eh?”

Undyne's face turns bright green again.“It is NOT your turn! Never have I ever used teleportation magic!”

Sans laughs and takes his fifth shot. “welp, i’m out…”

He tips his empty shot glass upside down on the table and stands. “be right back. gotta… talk to somebody while i’m here.”

He blips out and reappears by the bar. Part of you wonders if he does it to avoid stumbling over his own feet. Alphys giggles and leans heavily on Undyne. “O-oh no! I'm going to losse at thisss rate!” 

She holds up her two fingers. You, Undyne, and Gaster still have three. Though you can really feel the fire whiskey kicking in. Is it warm in here?

“N-never have I ever….” She mumbles and scans the room, looking for ideas. “Never-never have I ever… G-gosh. It'ss really hard to think of ssssomething....”

“Just pick a human thing, and that’ll take down this one.” Undyne jabs a thumb at you.

“Hey!”

“Hmmmm, okay!” Alphys chirps, “Ne-never have I ever flown on an airplane!”

“No fair!” You pout and chug your shot. It hits your stomach like a hot brick. You lean back in the booth to avoid swaying.

“You’re just jealous that I got the best nerd in the house! Team Alphyne for the win!”

“Ohmygod!DidYouJustPutOurNamesTogetherLikeAShipName!CuzIAmSOOOOTurnedOnByThat!” 

Undyne blushes and smooches her girlfriend on the forehead. Who giggles and reaches out for another one. You lean around table and squint as if it could help you figure out how the hell Alphys said that all in one breath. Was that all the same word too? It’s a tad impressive.

‘Well then… Might as well make the teams even!’ Gaster hums. His signing is more languid and his smile is lopsided. ‘Never have I ever performed physical exercise for fun.’

“Fuck you!” Undyne laughs and takes a shot.

“Yeeeeah!” You cheer and hold your hand up for a high five. Gaster sees it. He misses it on the first shot but returns the gesture on the second. Shit, he’s drunk too.

“Never have I ever watched… Whatsit called?” You shrug, “Meow Meow Cutie whatever…?”

Undyne snorts and Alphys gasps like you physically hit her.

“Y-you’ve WHAT?!?” She screeches.

“Never seen it, but I know you love it. So take a drink, yo!” You grin.

Undyne drinks without protest but Alphys sputters for a few moments.

“You’ve! Never! Oh! T-there’sss going to- to be a HUGE Mew Mew Kissy Cutie marathon when we-”

‘Doctor Alphys…’ Gaster interrupts with a flourish. ‘I’m sure there will be, but for now you owe us a drink.’

Alphys pouts and takes a shot. Unfortunately, the effect is almost immediate. Her normally yellow scaled face turns an ashen shade of green. She quickly puts down her glass and clamps her hands over her mouth. A dangerous sounding burp escapes her lips.

“IthinkI’mgoingtobesick.”

“Nope! Not here!” Undyne springs into action. She scoops up Alphys like she weighs nothing at all. Her own glass clatters to the table, forgotten. She practically runs from the table and disappears into the bathroom. It’s a blur of movement, and you feel bad for Alphys. She hates being the center of attention, but you gotta admit that Undyne’s physical prowess is pretty cool. She’s either not as drunk as the rest of you or she’s better at holding it. 

‘Oh… Oh, my. I didn’t mean to…’ Gaster’s signs start and stop like he’s stammering. He chews on his bottom lip and his eye sockets are wide.

“It'ss not your fault.” You lean across the table to pat his arm. Unfortunately, the world decides to tip sideways on you and you have to white knuckle the table to stop from face-planting into it.

‘Oh! Not you too! Are you okay?’ Gaster looks a little panicked.

“I’mma fine!” You try to glare at him but the effect is ruined by a little spittle running down the side of your mouth. He doesn’t look convinced.

You sit up and slide out of the booth. Gaster scrambles to get on his crutches. An ‘oh shit’ look is plastered on his cracked face.

“A little… Fresh air... wouldn’t be bad. Though...” You stubbornly keep your head held high as you half march, half stumble out of the bar. The clicking of Gaster’s crutches follows you and every once in a while he steers you away from a tripping hazard. Part of you wants to refuse his help but the majority of you doesn’t want to fall on your face.

The front door swings shut behind you. It’s much cooler outside and the crisp air is sobering. You breathe it in deeply and spot a bench up front. The old grey wood squeaks under your weight, but it’s sturdy. Gaster takes a spot next to you.

‘You okay?’ He asks again.

“I’m not going to puke.” You promise. You’re woozy and your stomach is glad that the game is over. But you don’t think you’re going to puke.

The tension leaves his shoulders and he sighs with relief. ‘Oh thank god!’

You laugh, “Didn’t you raise your baby brothers? That had to be messy!”

‘I did and I. Hated. Every. Single. Flu season!’ Gaster replies adamantly. He sways a little as he does so but he appears to be holding his own. ‘It’s how I knew I never wanted to be a medical doctor.’

“Okay. I can respect that.” You nod.

For a moment the two of you just sit and enjoy the night air. The smell of pines lingers on the breeze and the only light is the bar’s yellowed porch light behind you. All around, the monster shops are locked up and closed for the evening. The street is empty and quiet. Its cooler out here, but you still have a week or two of summer left. So it's warm enough to sit comfortably in short sleeves. 

Next to you, Gaster signs ‘Beautiful isn't it?’

“Huh?” You hiccup and try to figure out what the hell he's talking about. Sure monster town is cool and all but- Oh! He's looking up at the sky. You follow his gaze. 

This area is set in wide clearing. It's late enough that the sky is an inky black, and far above it are the stars. They twinkle and shine. This high up on the mountain you can almost see a hint of the milky way. Though the light pollution from the city below dims it.

“Yeah…” You hum.

‘I don't think it'll ever get old.’ 

“No, but it'll get better. Just wait till you can travel…” You whistle. “I know this spot. It's in a national park. No city lights around for miles and… It's gorgeous.”

Gaster turns to you. His eye sockets are wide and his eyelights look like they're shimmering. There's a faint purple glow dusting his cheeks but you think that's more from the alcohol than anything else.

‘Really?’ He asks with a small hopeful smile. ‘You'd show me..?’

“Heck yeah!” You giggle. “Just, y’know. Gotta finish up here with… The project and all…”

The change is startling. You don't talk about the Core in public. You don't want to start a panic but he catches you drift immediately. 

His smile drops like a stone, and his eyelights -which looked like their own glimmering stars just a moment ago - dim. He slouches and shifts his weight away from you.

‘Oh yeah…’ he signs dejectedly. ‘That…’

“Gaster…” You whisper. “I gotta ask-”

‘No. You don't.’ He interrupts. He signs it with his actual hands and the motions are clipped and sharp.

You blink and sit up a little straighter.

“Gaster.” You repeat. “Your notes are gone, and it's going to blow. I understand that you've been through a trauma but-"

He cuts you off again. This time with an ugly bark of a laugh that makes you jump. It's forced and distorted, and so different from his usual synthesizer laugh. Something about it sends a shiver down your spine.

‘You understand?’ He snaps. His brow furrows and he sneers at you. ‘Then by all means Doctor! Tell me what it was like in the Void! Tell me how-’

“Woah! Woah! Woah!” You interrupt. The change in attitude is like a bucket of ice water and you can't help but snap back, “Don't put words in my mouth! Obviously, I don't know what it was like exactly, but I can have a little basic human sympathy.”

Gaster harrumphs, ‘Now that's an interesting concept…’

You suck in a breath through your teeth. Did he just..? 

“Wow…” You force yourself to exhale slowly. “You know what…. We're drunk. So I'm not going to touch that.”

‘How generous of you.’ Gaster rolls his eye lights.

Whatever fuzzy feelings you had for Gaster evaporate. It takes all your self-control not to snap back at him and through your haze you tell yourself to take the high road.

“Look,” You fold your arms over your chest, “I'm not trying to pick a fight here and I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. But the Core is going to get everyone killed -or imprisoned again- if we can't shut it off!”

Shit. Even in through muddled thoughts you realize that you could have worded that a bit more delicately.

Gaster doesn't let you rephrase. He jabs a finger in your general direction and his ghost hands sign sharply, ‘I reverse engineered everything I had from human garbage! I built marvels out of literal trash. So if you need me to do your job for you, then maybe you're not qualified to do it in the first place!”

Your blood runs cold. 

You stand up sharply and stagger back from the bench. Gaster does not follow you this time.

“Fine…” You sneer. Fuck this prick and fuck any attempt at the high road. “Sit on your ass and keep your secrets. I'll take YOUR machine apart piece by bloody piece, and take responsibility for the consequences of YOUR incompetent design! Coward!”

You hear Gaster gasp but you don't stick around. Turning on your heel you stomp off. Head bent towards the hotel and eyes seeing red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeeeah, so… There’s a reason that this is a slow burn. Sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. But it will! I promise.
> 
> Also!!!! The only confirmed ships in this fic are listed in the tags. I couldn't resist joking around with Sans during the drinking game, but those are only nods to other shippers. If you prefer an asexual Sans then you could say that he tried it (sneakily in a public place ;P) and decided it wasn't for him. Or he could've lied and was pulling Gaster's leg. Plus a crush can just be a fleeting crush. Whatever floats yer boat. All ships (including friend-ships) are welcome here. I just couldn't resist the joke. XD


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have been tense around the cul de sac, so Frisk comes up with a solution. Gaster takes it as an opportunity to bond with Papyrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year Everyone! Things have been busy on my end but this chapter (and it's ending) was an absolute blast to write. I hope you laugh just as much as I did! :D  
> \------  
>  ******THERE IS ONE NEW SPECIFIC TRIGGER WARNING IN THE END AUTHOR'S NOTES******

“Your Majesty…”

“Doctor, please. I know that you only use my title when you're trying to let me down easily.” Asgore hums.

You shuffle through your notes and move back to the supercomputer. Asgore looks out of place in the sea of whiteboards and pastel tiles. He follows you but he's careful not to disturb anything. Messy masses of calculations and sticky notes are tacked to every available surface in this part of the lab.

“It would mean a lot to Frisk if you joined us.” He adds. It's a guilt trip and both of you know it.

“Asgore, I really don't have time for this.” You sigh, “We've managed to rig a system to turn on and monitor all the lights in the Underground. Anything that can chew through power is on full blast. We've built more efficient storage units, but the Core itself…”

You hit ‘play’ on the latest simulation. Calculations run past the screen and a 3D model pops up. At first, everything looks normal. There's a gradual decrease in power production. Magma intake slows and the water tanks vent harmlessly into the cavern. All looks good, and then a warning pops up. And another. The pressure readings start climbing. Heat levels spike. The eastern turbine flashes red. Fire alerts erupt along the west hallway. Errors flash left and right until the program ends with a simulated meltdown.

You rub your temples.

“There’s no fat! Nothing can be spared! Everything is built to depend on every other system. You shut down one and the rest crash and burn. Literally!” You explain with a bitter tone. You can't help but let your frustration leak into your voice. The more you work with the Core, the more justified you feel in calling out its terrible design.

It must have been a bitch to create in the first place.

Asgore rubs the back of his neck. “Have you um… Brought it up to…?”

“If you are referring to Dr. Wingdings Gaster,” You say coldly, “then I assure you that he has made his professional opinion on the matter abundantly clear. I do not need to be told twice. Unless he's said anything different to you?”

Asgore winces. “... no. He hasn't.”

You thought so. You haven't told anyone about the argument in front of Grillby's, and apparently neither has Gaster. But your neighbors are smart. Everyone could see how the two of you avoid each other like the plague and behave downright frigid when you have to be in the same space. It makes Asgore and Toriel look like besties. 

Someone, probably Alphys, must've reasoned that it had to do with the Core. She isn't brave enough to ask directly, so she most likely went to the monarchs instead. When asked you curtly told Asgore that you had brought up the matter with Dr. Gaster, and that it was soundly rejected. That's it. You refused to say anything more. In fact, you're pretty sure those were your exact words. Toriel’s talk with the Font family on the other hand... Well, you weren't there. You had been working, but from what you heard later it sounds like it didn't go well. Sans wouldn't talk to Toriel for almost three whole days afterward, and poor Papyrus looked helpless through it all. You still feel sorry for him.

So between you and Gaster nothing has changed, and an unspoken truce holds for the rest of the cul de sac. 

No one wants to rock the boat.

“Wait. Is that why Frisk wants to go on this camping trip?” You ask. “To try to get everyone outdoors and play nice?”

“The weather is beautiful, Doctor. It'll get cold soon. Why not enjoy the last bit of summer?” Asgore forces a smile.

“You didn’t answer my question…..” You mumble but in a way he has. You bite back a groan and turn back to your notes. Busying yourself with them, a small part of you hopes that Asgore will take a hint. You feel rather than see him come up beside you. He places a paw on your shoulder and gives it a warm squeeze.

“I honestly think it’s a good idea.” He hums. His voice is low and comforting. “Work is important but focusing too much on it leads to tragic consequences.... However... I don’t expect a brilliant mind to truly let go of a problem until it’s solved. Distance will give you perspective, Doctor. Trust me on this.”

You don’t say anything and while you’ll never admit it Gaster’s words haunt you.

_‘if you need me to do your job for you, then maybe you're not qualified to do it in first place’_

You chew on your lip and your brow furrows, “Another break?” 

“Just the for the weekend, the lake isn’t far.” Asgore reasons, “It’s only an hour’s drive away and there will be plenty to do. Swimming, hiking… Things a certain skeleton with a cane can't physically participate in right now.”

“So he’s not coming?” You perk up.

Asgore winces, “No. He's coming, but I’m told he's going to spend most of Saturday fishing with his brothers.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sans leans against the side table. His hands are stuffed into his star patterned hoodie and he looks unimpressed. “you want to go fishing?”

“Absolutely!” Gaster hums cheerfully. 

“why?”

“I think it'll be a good experience!” He chirps and rummages through his duffle bag. Repacking his clothes he makes sure that he has the essentials. Guide book, sunscreen, binoculars, matches, bear mace, duct tape...

“uh huh.” Sans mumbles, “you realize that you have to wake up before dawn, right?”

“That’s true, but then we’ll get to see the sunrise! I bet it’ll be gorgeous.”

“does papyrus even like fishing?”

Gaster deflates, “I don't know…. But that's the point, Sans. I really don't know. He's our baby brother and I can't relate to him at all! So…”

He turns the guide book over in his hands. On the cover is an illustration of two humans out on a lake. One is taller and older than the other, most likely meant to be father and son.

But they look happy.

“I'm going to try. It might be a little cliche but I'm trying…” Gaster sighs. Stars above, he knows he can’t do all the physical activities that Papyrus obviously finds enjoyable, and he can’t seem to find any other common interests. Heck even if Gaster was farther along in his physical therapy and didn’t need a cane, he wasn’t sure if he could force himself to train like Pap does. Gaster knows that he’s a sedentary scientist. On a good day and a good pot of coffee, he could run around the lab messing with parts until he passed out. But actual physical labor? For fun?

Fishing was outdoorsy. It was sedentary but could be considered active, right? Perhaps this will be a good compromise.

Sans looks at the guidebook and back up Gaster. He sits down on the bed. “think there's room for one more in the boat?”

Gaster smiles. He pulls the rental agreement out of a side pouch.

“I think so. It says here that it can carry up to five humans, so we'll have plenty of room.”

“you mean a skele _ton_ of room?”

Gaster laughs, “Do you really think that pun is _humerus_?”

“ _tibia_ honest, i really do.”  
\------------------------------------------------

The drive up on Friday is something else. You thought you were used to bumpy Humvee rides but quickly realize how rough the real backwoods are around Mt. Ebott. You aren’t sure if being crowded into one of three cars with every monster you know, a pregnant couple, and a small child made the experience better or worse. All the bodies jammed together cushion each jostling blow, but it also means that every time they hit a pothole you went face first into a different body part. Thankfully Asgore was right. It’s only an hour drive.

The escorts drop you all off with the curt promise to be back on Sunday evening, 6PM sharp. Frisk waves at them as they leave.

At least the lake itself is gorgeous. Roughly oblong shaped it’s fed by snowmelt and maintained by natural aqueducts. Which means that the water is cold but it's mostly clear with a crystalline blue sheen. It’s surrounded by old tall pine trees. You have to crane your neck up just to see the canopy, and each of them are thick around with sap crusted bark. They provide a lot of natural shade and a thick carpet of brown needles punctuated with baseball-sized pine cones. In the distance, you can make out Mt. Ebott. 

A couple of yards away from the shoreline there’s a leveled clearing made for campers. Its nothing fancy, just a flat patch of dirt for everyone to set up their tents, but there's a fire pit in the center. You make short work of your tent and help Jake and Amy set up theirs. The directions are rudimentary but you get the concept. Undyne is the one that figures out how best to lay down the sleeping bags so you don’t end up sleeping on a rock, and even over an open fire Toriel can cook a mean dinner. In fact, you get the feeling that she prefers it that way.

You pointedly ignore the font brother’s setting up their tent as far away from you as possible.

Sans and He-Who-Built-The-Dumbest-Machine pointedly ignore you as you sit the farthest away from them at dinner. Though your expression softens when Papyrus asks you to pass the napkins. Poor guy. He’s still cool.

After you finish eating you throw your paper plates in the bin and stretch. 

“Turning in, Doctor?” Asgore asks.

‘It’s too early!’ Frisk whines.

“Sorry kiddo but I need to lay down for a bit.” You wince as your joints pop. “G’night.”

You promise to go on a hike with Frisk first thing in the morning and a chorus of goodnights follows you as you turn in.

Somewhere by the water’s edge the skeleton brothers lower a boat into the lake and tie it to a nearby tree.

\---

It’s a sturdy craft. Made of aluminum with plank seating the boat sits high on the water and has a heavy looking motor attached to the back. The rental came with a free tank of gas, but after loading up the supplies Gaster and Papyrus choose to use the paddles instead. It’s early and the engine looks like it would make a lot of noise. They don’t want to wake the others.

The middle bench is long enough for Sans to lay down on it. So he does so. It doesn't look very comfortable but he's already snoring before they get very far.

“SANS!” Papyrus puffs.

“Oh let him sleep,” Gaster says in his font. If he’s only around his brothers today he won’t need to use sign language much. He lifts his oar out of the water. In the pre-dawn light the lake looks like a black mirror and the droplets dripping off his paddle make it ripple. “We got this, right?”

Papyrus perks up, “YES WE DO, BROTHER.”

Gaster slides his oar back in and the two of them paddle in silence. It’s a lot harder than it looks and if Gaster had abdominal muscles he’s sure that they’d be cramping. As it is, his bones strain like he's doing crunches.

“UM, BROTHER?”

“Yes?”

“WE’RE VEERING.”

“Oh! Right!” Gaster bites his lip and paddles faster. The boat course corrects and they glide closer to the center of the lake. Glancing back at Pap, he sees that his bro isn't even breaking a sweat. He's leisurely paddling and looking around the lake. Between the two of them, he’s also the one that does sit-ups on a daily basis.

After a few moments, Gaster tries to hide his heavy breathing. A few beads of purple sweat form along his brow, and he might have to throw in the towel.

Thankfully Papyrus calls out, “THIS SPOT LOOKS GOOD, DOESN'T IT?”

“Absolutely!” Gaster agrees instantly.

“WOWIE! YOU MUST BE REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS!” Papyrus smiles. He draws in his oar and stows it. Gaster leans on his for a second to catch his breath. 

Looking out on the lake he sees a faint mist floating above the water and reflected back in its depths. He can’t see the individual trees from this far out, but they look like a jagged mass of green. The sky isn’t black per se. It’s a greyish blue with a hint of wispy clouds. Not dark enough to see the stars but it’s still an hour away from dawn. It’s quiet. Not as deafeningly so as the Void but it feels still compared to the buzzing, clicking, and humming noises of the waking world. Gaster lets himself hyperfocus on the whirl of dragonfly wings and the hiss of wind through the pine needles.

“Beautiful out here…” He hums as his panting slows.

“AGREED!” Papyrus says behind him. Gaster hears the clacking of fishing poles and the zing of plastic lines. “OH DRAT!”

“Hm?” Turning around Gaster sees Paps wrist deep in fishing line. The translucent green string has somehow escaped from its spool and tangled around both the poll and Pap's fingers. “How did you…?”

“I DON'T KNOW?” Papyrus whines. He gives an arm a tug and the rod clacks with it. “I WAS JUST GOING TO GIVE IT SOME SLACK AND THE WHOLE THING CAME UNDONE!”

Gaster reaches for his pack, “Hold on, there has to be something in the manual.”

“MANUELS USUALLY HAVE THE BEST ADVICE.” Papyrus nods sagely.

“what happened..?” Sans sits up. He rubs his eye sockets and yawns as Gaster starts flipping through pages. Sans turns toward his little brother. He sleepily looks him up and down. Then smirks, “looks like you’re-”

“DON’T.”

“all caught up in this.” 

“AAARRRGHHHH!”

Sans chuckles and starts tugging at the fishing line. “c’mon bro, these are reel good jokes.”

“NO, THEY ARE NOT!”

It looks like he’s making progress. Sans has freed a few fingers by the time Gaster finds the chapter listing the parts. Apparently, Paps must’ve lifted something called the ‘bail arm’ and that allowed the line to come undone. He speedreads looking for troubleshooting advice but he’s trying not to snicker.

“don’t they just lure you in?”

“SANS! STOP THAT!”

Gaster looks up from the book. He stifles a laugh and says with a cheesy grin, “I have to agree. He's just- heh- baiting you.”

“OH MY GOD!” 

Papyrus throws his arms up taking the pole with them. Something snaps and the line unzips with a plastic zing. The pieces arch through the air and fall a few feet away from the boat with a resounding ‘PLOP’! The splash sends large ripples through the water. One of the pieces sinks immediately but the part with the cork handle wobbles and floats for a moment before it’s dragged under.

The three skeletons stare blankly at the spot where it sank.

“UUUUMMMM….”

“welp... undyne is going to have a fun time finding that later.”

Gaster grimaces and looks at the other two poles. “I guess I’ll…”

“nah. you two fish. i’ll just provide commentary.” Sans says and makes himself comfortable on the plank seat.

Papyrus scratches his mandible. He looks hesitantly at the other poles. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING BUT…. I ADMIT I’M A LITTLE HESITANT TO… ACCIDENTALLY DISCARD ANOTHER POLE.”

“Here. How about you hold the manual for me? I believe this diagram shows how to tie a hook.”

“SURE! NEH!” Papyrus eagerly accepts the book and between the two of them, they manage to set up the lines. Gaster didn’t have the soul to buy actual worms, so instead they bait the hooks with brightly colored lures. He’s not exactly sure how the wiggly plastic like things are supposed to work, motion perhaps? But it’s in the manual.

Learning to cast is another matter entirely.

“SO WE’RE SUPPOSED TO...?”

“Just flick the end of it?” Gaster cocks his head to the side and studies the diagram. Well, there’s no better way to learn that to experiment. He releases the bail arm and reaches back to swing. 

Behind him the lure plops unceremoniously into the water.

“What?” Gaster stares at the spot and rewinds the line.

On the other end of the boat there’s a slice of aluminum through the air and the hiss of fishing line. Gaster turns and watches a colorful lure plop neatly down into the water. The line settles and the bobber floats lightly on the surface. Gaster stares at Papyrus who looks just as surprised.

“I THINK I GET IT.” He beams. “YOU HAVE TO FLICK YOUR WRIST.”

“nice one bro.” Sans hums.

“Agreed.” Gaster nods. He tries to mimic the motion. “Like this?”

“HOLD THE STRING. THEN LET GO AS YOU SWING.” Papyrus advises.

Gaster does so. It feels janky and the lure doesn’t fly near as far. However, it’s roughly in the direction he wanted so…. He’ll take it.

“YOU GOT IT!” Papyrus cheers and reaches over to pat Gaster on the back. It’s a little forceful and he nearly drops the pole. But he beams.

“quite a right hook you have there,” Sans smirks.

“SANS.”

“oh alright.” Sans shrugs, but he’s smiling too. He lazily stares at the matching bobbers. “so now what?”

“Well….” Gaster hums. Keeping his hands on the pole he summons an extra pair to flip through the book. “I guess... That we wait. If anything bites the bobber should disappear.”

It doesn’t really say what you’re supposed to do while you wait. It just goes from casting to how to reel in a fish once it’s taken a bite. Why is there an advertisement for beer tucked between the pages?

“uh huh….” 

Gaster puts the book away. He fidgets with his pole. Sans looks like he’s about to nod off again and Papyrus stares at his bobber expectantly. Gaster looks around the lake but it’s the same as it was a few minutes ago. The bobbers keep floating.

‘So now what?’ The question lingers in the air. They could… talk? But about what? Gaster wracks his mind. Wasn’t the purpose of this trip to find some common ground between him and his youngest brother? Maybe… God, he should have thought about this before. Of course the fish weren't going to magically start biting. 

Think. What could they talk about? Papyrus clearly wasn’t interested in science. He’d spaced out during the documentary Sans had turned on the other night, and heaven knows how Gaster can’t stand Mettaton’s acting. Plus there’s only so many clips from the world tour he could watch before he zones out. He couldn’t cook or muster up the desire to learn. From what he’d seen coming out of the kitchen Papyrus could use a few lessons too, and not from Undyne. Anyone but Undyne…. He watches his bobber and mulls over the puzzles he knows. Puzzle fabrication isn’t very relevant anymore and the only puzzle Gaster had ever made was the movable twisting hallways of The Cor-NOPE. Not even… Different train of thought. Now.

Anything else..? Their situation on the surface? No. Politics is too depressing. The humans should come around eventually but in the meantime...

A bright sliver of light breaks Gaster out of his thoughts. He blinks against it and notices the sky getting lighter.

“Hey…” He points towards the mountains, “Look at that….”

To the east the sky had changed from a deep grey to a bird’s egg blue. The mountains are still silhouetted in shadow but as they look on a sliver of golden yellow light rises over them. It changes the clouds into wispy cotton flecks and warms the trees. For a few moments, it’s easy to look at and almost molten. And the colors… Oh stars above, the colors are beautiful. There are so many whites, golds, and oranges that Gaster sits in sheer awe. He thought those hues were artificial.

The surface is beautiful.

“WOWIE…” Papyrus blinks and uses a hand to shade his eye sockets.

“you can say that again.” Sans can’t help but agree.

Papyrus smirks, “WOWIE...”

“smartie bones.”

“NYEHEHEHE!”

Gaster chuckles.

Time passes and for a while they just watch the sun climb. The lake changes from a black mirror into a shimmering blue gem. Even the trees look more alive.

“UM… BROTHER?”

“hm?” “Yes?” - Sans and Gaster ask at the same time.

“I MEAN… WINGDINGS?”

Gaster blinks. It’s the first time he’s heard Papyrus say his name since… Well since he came back. It sounds weird coming out of his mouth. There’s almost a hesitance like it’s long and ungainly. Unfamiliar. Gaster turns in his seat. “Yes? Um… You know... you can also call me Wing, or Dings… Gaster works too. Just... You know... Whatever makes you comfortable.” 

Papyrus nods. “YEAH…. CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION?”

“Anything.”

“THAT FIGHT WITH TORIEL… IS THE CORE ONE OF THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT?”

Gaster knows that the eyelights have disappeared from his sockets, and even if he could think of the words to say he can't find the voice to say them. His body feels stiff.

Sans sits up, “papyrus…”

“I AM NOT JUDGING. I JUST…” Papyrus scratches the back of his neck and shrugs. “I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT. LIKE YOUR GREY DAYS OR HOW I DON’T SLEEP MUCH. ”

“paps…”

“I’M SERIOUS. I’M NOT…. I’M NOT AS SMART AS YOU TWO.” His shoulders slump and he stares out at the lake.

“I…” Gaster’s voice cracks. “I don’t… I don't want it to be a thing. I-I just…”

“dings...” 

“I’M SORRY FOR BRINGING IT UP, BUT MS. TORIEL…”

He doesn’t need to finish. Gaster’s already remembering that afternoon. She came over with a pie, a peace offering and an attempt to soften the blow. Sans brewed coffee to go with it. They made small talk for a bit, but there was something in her eyes. A purpose to her visit… And as soon as she mentioned you, even casually, Gaster knew what it was about. He clammed up and just shut down. Toriel tried to gently prod at first, asking what happened between you. Sans tried to dissuade her, diffuse the situation with jokes.

Then she asked about The Core.

Gaster can’t remember his exact words, but he knows that they were curt and steely and not much better than the drunken ones he threw at you. Sans and Papyrus were dumbstruck. Toriel was not impressed. Her response was far better than yours -and had fewer curse words- but it still held the sharp edge of a Queen. Regardless of marital status, she’s a Boss Monster whose people are sitting on a ticking time bomb… But Gaster didn’t care. Trauma doesn’t care. He snapped back and Sans jumped to his defense. His own trauma and fear coming to the forefront.

But poor Papyrus. Now that Gaster thinks about it. He doesn’t remember Papyrus moving an inch from his seat at the kitchen table.

“WE’RE GOOD AT AVOIDING THINGS WE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT.” Papyrus says quietly, “I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THAT’S ONE OF THEM…”

That strikes a chord in Gaster’s soul. He shakily puts down his fishing pole before he drops it. 

Sans is speechless. It’s true but… Well, that was also something that the bone brothers never said aloud.

“I…” Gaster catches a glimpse of his cracked face in the water’s reflection and then looks down at his hands. He stares at his bones, black from the wrist up until they disappear under his T-shirt. He knows he’s been avoiding the subject like the plague. He won’t even allow himself to think the ‘C’ word, but to hear Papyrus acknowledge it out loud.

Was that really what he wanted? 

Your angry face flashes in his mind. _“the Core is going to get everyone killed -or imprisoned again- if we can't shut it off!”_

Would it even be feasible to avoid talking about it forever?

Papyrus jumps and grabs his pole with both hands, “WOAH!”

“yeah, paps. wow…” Sans sighs and rakes a hand over his skull.

“NO, I MEAN I FELT SOMETHING!” Papyrus pulls back on his pole. The line is taut. “YOU CAN ANSWER ME LATER! I THINK I GOT A FISH. WHAT DO I DO NOW?”

“oh!” “Oh!” Both Sans and Gaster jump. Looking over the lake, there’s only one bobber visible. Gaster scrambles for the guide book. He quickly flips to the right page.

“Keep the tip of the pole up and wait till it stops pulling. Once the fish wears itself out, that’s when you reel it in.” Gaster instructs.

“OKAY… OKAY…” Papyrus nods. He yanks the fishing pole back and it starts to bend around the middle.

“don’t break the pole!” Sans looks back at Gaster, “right?”

“Yeah, yeah! Just enough pressure to keep it from spitting out the hook!”

“OH! RIGHT!” Papyrus eases up on the pressure but he keeps the tip up. Sans and Gaster watch for a few minutes as the fish struggles. The bobber doesn’t reemerge and Paps holds the pole steady. He grunts but doesn't wear down.

Sans tries to look at the guide book, “how long is this supposed to last?” 

“Depends on the size of the fish.” Gaster shrugs.

“I THINK I GOT IT!” Papyrus shouts as he starts reeling it in. At first it’s just wet line but then something breaks the water and starts splashing. Sans reaches for the net but Papyrus doesn’t wait for him. Instead he gives the pole a heave and the fish lands in the bottom of the boat with a wet thud. 

Sans teleports to Papyrus’s side, nearly sitting on the motor. The fish is only about a foot long but the boys back up so it can flop around in the middle of the boat.

It kinda looks like a fish, Gaster muses. It’s roughly fish shaped with a puny dorsal fin and grey slimy skin. Scales? Hard to tell. However, it’s head is the wrong shape. Instead of being flat like a sheet of paper it’s wide. Almost like somebody squished it from the top. It also has long spikes protruding from its mouth.

And it’s **angry**.

The moment it hits the floor it starts _hissing_. The spikes project forward from it’s snapping mouth and it twists from side to side. Like it can’t tell which threat to attack first. Papyrus takes a picture with his phone but then it snaps at him. He shrieks and jumps back.

“uh, dings?” Sans looks between him and the fish.

Gaster starts flipping through pages. He’s speed reading as fast as he can but it’s not helping. And this thing just keeps hissing and thrashing around. “Um… I… I dunno! Try throwing it back with the net!”

Realizing he still has it, Sans readjusts his grip. “right.”

He reaches forward and hesitantly pokes the fish with the net’s metal frame. 

Ho boy! It does NOT like that! The fish snaps at it and throws its body weight as far away as it can. Which causes it to thrash closer to Gaster.

Gaster panics and reaches for his pack. Pulling out the can of bear mace he fumbles with the safety latch and then unleashes a stream of white spray towards the creature’s eyes. Though the cloud of repellent nearly engulfs the thing as he leans on the trigger.

_**‘HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKCKCKC’** _

If it didn’t like the net the fish certainly doesn’t like the bear mace any better. Somehow it’s cries get louder and it slams against the boat’s aluminum frame. Any hope of scooping it out is lost as it wedges itself below the plank seating and their supplies.

“PERHAPS IT IS TIME WE LEAVE!” Papyrus shouts. Turning around he grabs the pull cord and revs the motor.

As it roars to life with the smell of gasoline and the tip of the boat rises up from the water, Gaster realizes an important miscalculation. The boat is made out of lightweight aluminum. The motor makes it back heavy and provides a strong forward thrust. The average human - weighing approx 130 lbs- is enough of a counterbalance to keep the nose down and breaks up water cohesion. Thus allowing for forward momentum.

Unfortunately, the average skeleton monster only weighs about 90 lbs and two of them are back by the motor. Making Gaster the only counterbalance up front. 

They're far too back heavy. 

All of this comes too late as the engine thunders in the water. The boat shoots up like the Titanic and with a tremendous splash it flips over. Throwing them all, including the fish, back into the lake. 

**SPLOOSH!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This chapter contains some animal violence. Nothing graphic but something that is not a bear get's bear maced to the face. The creature lives, but it's not happy.  
> That is all!
> 
> \--------------------------------
> 
>  
> 
> So if you guys didn't realize it, Paps caught a catfish. Fun fact, that part is based on a true story. Don't worry! No actual bear mace was involved!! When I was a kid (around 7-ish) my friends and I went fishing at a local pond. One of us caught a catfish. It was this small darkly colored thing that was NOT happy about being caught. I still remember how it hissed and how we freaked out and screamed. We ended up throwing it back by chucking the entire bucket we used to hold the fish out into the lake. To my knowledge, all the fish lived and we got our bucket back, but…. Yeah! A catfish can be freaky when you don't know what you're looking at….
> 
> Sidenote, googling “would bear mace work on a catfish?” yields a lot of unhelpful links. So…. I'm just going take an artistic liberty for that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of the weekend camping trip. More adventures unfold. A few revelations are made. Papyrus tells tall tales, and hard conversations are had. Typical outdoorsy stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, I'm not dead!!!  
> Joking aside, I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I had a lot of RL drama happen all at once. It wasn't anything serious but it sapped my creative energies. Plus I really wanted to do this chapter justice because it contains some serious topics. I don't remember how I did the extra warning link-to-the-bottom thing so I'm going to list it here.  
> \----  
> Near the end, this chapter contains mention of suicide/parental death (nothing graphic) and a main character has a panic attack.

You look out at the lake, “So what happened?”

“Papyrus caught a catfish and they accidentally capsized.” Toriel explains simply. You blink and look out at the floating wreck of supplies and upturned boat. That explanation... feels a little inadequate. How on earth did a little catfish cause a boat to capsize?

“Are they okay?” You ask instead. 

“They are.” Toriel shifts to the side and you can see the three of them huddled around their tent, wrapped in towels. “Sans was able to teleport the three of them to shore. They're drenched, but they'll be fine.”

You nod and stare at the wreckage. Asgore is knee deep in the water, using his trident to snag anything that comes close enough. Alphys is doing her best to dry things off on the beach, and Undyne is somewhere in the water. Every once in a while you see a splash as she collects whatever sank.

“I'll see if I can get the full story.” Amy smirks. She leans against her husband and plants a kiss on his cheek. “Have fun on your hike, love. Don't get lost.”

“‘Ain't no mountain high enough’.” James sing songs.

Frisk walks over and signs, ‘But isn't he already lost in your eyes?’

Amy groans but she's smiling. James gives the kid a high five.

“Best wingman ever.”

‘Wingperson’

“That works too.”

Amy rolls her eyes, “Get your cheesy trans and nonbinary butts into the woods!”

“Yes dear.” James faux bows and shoulders his backpack.

Trans? That sound short for something...Oh, Transgender! You remember seeing an enamel pin on Jake's work lanyard and connect the dots. It’s a pride pin. So that's where you saw it before.

‘C'mon slow pokes!’ Frisk signs. They bounce on their heels as they scoot towards the trail head.

Toriel laughs and grabs a hiking stick. “Such energy, my child! Don't be so impatient.”

You snag your own backpack and hurry after them.  
\----------------------------------------

Thankfully the trail was made for beginners. It's clearly marked and the dirt has been packed down from years of use. At first it winds through the forest and trees twice your age. Their height and majesty are just as eye catching as before. You can hear the breeze hissing through the pine needles and every once in a while you reach out to touch the rough bark. 

Eventually the path starts to go up an incline. The trees thin out and you can see the lake to your right. It looks like Undyne managed to get the boat ashore. Squinting, you can’t see any floating debris either. Just a shimmering sapphire surface looking beautiful in the mid morning sun. 

Toriel makes everyone stop to put on more sunscreen. You don’t complain. Though you see Frisk signing to their mother about all the neat rocks and flowers they’ve seen along the path. You don’t know how Toriel can get any lotion on them with all their wiggling, but she manages.

‘And we’re not even halfway done!’ Frisk beams.

“Omf! Really?” Jake huffs. He sets his backpack on the ground, “I might need a break then! Haven’t- done this much exercise in a while…”

‘No!’ Frisk protests and pouts, ‘I don’t want to wait here. Look at all the neat things over there! Just a bit more, pleeeeeeeeease?’

“My child,” Toriel hums. “It is not nice to force people, especially when they are tired. Not everyone has the same energy as you do.”

Frisk deflates and you can’t help but stare. Considering their title, it’s easy to forget that they are still a child. 

‘I guess…’

“Why don’t you go on ahead? Play for a little while, but do not go past that fallen tree. I want to be able to see you.” Toriel compromises and Frisk beams.

‘Yeah! Thanks Mom!’ They take off like a blur and go quite a distance before they slow down. But Frisk keeps their promise. You can see them as they race around stumps and poke at pine cones. You take a seat on a log and dig out a water bottle.

“So Jake. I didn’t realize you were trans.” You say casually.

Jake looks over at you. “Hm? Oh yeah. Started T when I was doing my bachelors work, and never looked back. Best decision I ever made. Well…” -He looks at his wedding band.- “Maybe second best, after Amy and the baby. Eh, close second.”

“Good for you!” You smile. “Though if it’s not rude, may I ask how-?”

“Donor.” Jake finishes for you, “And nah. I know you’re cool.”

“Thanks” You rummage around your backpack and pull out a ziplock. “Trail mix?”

“Sure.” He shrugs and takes a handful. Toriel finds a log sturdy enough to support her weight and takes a seat. “Human biology still perplexes me. Forgive me for butting into the conversation but I swear I cannot seem to get my head around it.”

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s confusing for us too.” Jake says between bites. You remember puberty and agree with him.

But you can’t help but wonder, “So how are monster babies made? If I may ask?” 

“Well” Toriel hums and makes herself more comfortable, “When two or more monsters love each other very much they will summon their souls and temporarily merge them. This doesn’t always result in a child… It is a very intense experience and all parties are incredibly vulnerable, but… Well it is also very thrilling too.” You can almost see a pink blush under her white fur, “Some say that it can either make or break a relationship. Others consider it the ultimate form of love making and simply wish to share the experience, as well as every aspect of themselves, with their partner.

“However” She continues, “If all participants are happy and wish to have a child, a piece of that experience - or of that love one might say- will break off from the merged souls. Now the exact process of incubation and gestation depends on the monster types involved but eventually that spec of magic grows into a new soul and a monster is born.”

“So there’s no..?” Jake searches for the right word, “Physical parts to it?”

“For reproduction? No. Not at all.” Toriel shakes her head. 

“So Undyne and Alphys wouldn’t have any problems having kids?” You ask.

Toriel laughs “Assuming they both wish to become parents, no they won’t. Though I suspect that it is far too early in their relationship for that!”

“Well, yeah. But as an example.” You mumble and feel your face grow warm. Toriel doesn’t comment on it and simply nods.

“Man, I’m jealous!” Jake sighs, “You guys are way better at this stuff that humans.”

“Our peoples have been shaped by different forces,” Toriel hums, “but I suppose that there are some benefits to being made of magic.”

There’s that word again. You're getting used to it, but you still can't believe it sometimes.

Frisk jogs back with an armload of sticks and flowers. Yet they manage to sign, ‘What’cha talking about over here? And is break time over yet?’

Toriel laughs and pets their head, “Nothing that won’t be reviewed in your health class.”

“Aaaaand I guess so.” Jake says as he stands and stretches.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Gaster stuffs his wet clothes into a large ziplock and hobbles out of the tent. It feels good to be in something dry but he lost his cane in the boat. Thankfully Sans is waiting for him and helps him over to the chairs by the fire pit.

Undyne had managed to flip the boat back over and drag it ashore. She also found all the fishing poles and some of their supplies. Though the guide book is thoroughly ruined.

Not that it was much help.

“you okay dings?” Sans asks once he's situated. “paps wants to help undyne look for the rest of the stuff and i want to make sure he doesn’t push himself too much…”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. You go watch him.” Gaster nods. He has a lot to think about anyway. Sans looks reluctant but he leaves. 

_WE’RE GOOD AT AVOIDING THINGS WE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT._

Gaster sighs. He leans on his knees and stares at the lake. Can he avoid it forever? If they had rights and could freely travel, then hell yes. He'd take his brothers and run as far away as possible. Under the current quarantine…

You are competent. Despite what Gaster said, he knows that you are. He had Googled you while he was in the hospital and researched the projects you had helmed… Impressive doesn't cover it. You are a jack of all trades engineer, a rarity and prodigy in your own right.

But the Cor-

Gaster winces. He sighs and rubs his forehead. 

He can't. He just can't….

Maybe… Maybe if remembers how it was before… Before IT was built. He was so young and full of energy. 

It was one bitch of a project. He smiles ruefully, and remembers how badly he had wanted it to be as self sustaining. All the pieces had to be assembled and activated at roughly the same time. The tight schedules… The precision wiring... The setbacks that cascaded into every single department. So many sleepless nights and mountains of university paperwork… Gaster feels tired just remembering it.

But it worked.

As much as Gaster dreads thinking about it, the Cor- the THING, is a reliable source of renewable energy. It wouldn't easily disappear. However it still needed maintenance, despite Gaster's best efforts. Cooling technicians stationed in Snowdin…. General piping upkeep... Personnel to monitor the system in Hotland.... Regardless of his dreams of perpetual motion, in the end he’d accepted the people costs. He never took freedom into account. He never thought the Underground would stand empty.

But at the time… Gaster signs and lets the memories wash over him. More importantly he mulls over them, looks inward, and tries to remember his motivations. It’s clear in a way that only works when looking back. 

At the time he had resigned himself to never seeing the stars. He'd been born down there, and he thought he’d die down there. Yet even so, he had been determined. He wanted to leave something useful behind. Something that could improve their miserable prison and make it a little more bearable for his baby brothers. He had designed his invention so that anyone could maintain it. Anyone at all… Regardless of their prowess and health, so even if its guardians could barely hold onto hope. Even if they were miserable and so consigned to never leaving the Underground that they stop getting out of bed. That they left all the chores and cooking to their oldest son and eventually dusted themselves while he was reading Sans a bedtime story….

Gaster’s eye sockets widen and he absentmindedly nudges a pebble with his foot. 

“Well, shit…” He mumbles.

Now that was a new revelation. 

Guess he never really thought about it that way before…. For a moment the thought leaves him stunned.

He never talked about _that_ either, did he?

Sans and Papyrus were too young, and Gaster kept the neighbors, his professors, and any other adults in his life at arm’s length. He was never really social. So, he just…. Didn't…. To anyone...

Guess he knows where the tradition of avoiding uncomfortable conversations stems from….

Gaster leans back in his chair and stares up at the crystalline blue sky and wispy clouds. 

\--------------------------------------------------------

“Wow…” You look over the vista and smile.

‘Told you that it’d be worth it!’ Frisk beams and you can't disagree. From this point you can see the entire lake and quite a bit of the surrounding forest. It’s not a bird’s eye view. You’re not high enough for that but the trail had sloped up onto a cliff face. If is wasn’t incredibly dangerous you’d be tempted to hoist Frisk up like in the Lion King. As it is you can’t help but stare at the view. 

“Okay, selfie time!” Jake says as he digs a selfie stick out of his backpack.

Frisk's shoulders slump, ‘Jake…’

“It's a useful tool, kiddo.” He laughs as he ruffles their hair. “Now lean in everyone!”

You pose for pictures with the group and take a few with your cell phone. Frisk laughs and helps Toriel open her camera app.

The wind shifts and you catch a whiff of sulfur.

For a moment the sunlight feels cold. You stiffly turn towards it. At first all you see are the trees. They're grouped closely together and cast a deep shade. But then you spot it, roughly a hundred feet away wedged tightly between the pines, a house.

You force yourself to release the breath that you’d been holding. The smell is gone and you can think of a dozen home appliances that could mimic it.

Yet you can't help but stare at it. There’s something about it that you just don’t like, but you can't put your finger on it…. Maybe it's the design? You can't see the house clearly, just the back wall that faces the visa, but it's obviously a modern home. Made of stark white concrete walls and sharp angles, you're surprised you didn't spot it before.

Something shifts in the window.

Frisk tugs on your pant leg, ‘What you looking at?

“Hm? Oh! That house over there.” You point it out, “I thought we were in a national park?”

Frisk looks at it, ‘This is part of a park. That's not, but it's okay. Cuz its only one rich guy that's never really around.’

You look back at the house. The figure is gone. “I thought I saw someone in there…”

‘He's home?’, Frisk questions, ‘We should go say hi! He's probably lonely out here in the woods!’

“I think we should be getting back to the camp.” Toriel hums, “The others will be worried about us if we're late. Besides, there are some people that do not like unannounced visitors, my child.”

Frisk deflates but nods.

\-------

Damien steps away from the window. He shouldn't have done that. It wasn't the right time.

But you were right there.

He runs a hand through his hair and curses as he feels the crunch of hairspray. Grumbling all the way to the bathroom he throws open the mirrored cabinet and pulls out different products. He shuts it with a magnetized snap and glares at his reflection with steely grey eyes. 

Just as he expected, his pompadour is smashed. He pours mousse on his neatly manicured hands and works it into his flaming red hair. It takes him a few minutes but he gets it back into a perfect quaff. He sighs, quickly washes his hands, and shakes off the water. With a harumph he straightens his polo and leans close to the mirror to make sure he didn’t get any gel on his freckled face.

There’s a hesitant knock and the door opens wider. 

One of his followers peaks inside. The hood covers most of their face, but their chin and cloak are spattered. Perhaps they should pick a different color fabric. The blood always stands out. 

“Mr. Ironwill-”

Damien sneers.

“I m-mean, Master Ironwill…” They correct hastily, “The Ritual is complete and we received this message.”

While their hands are stained with oils and there’s soot caked under their fingernails, the polaroid is spotless. Damien takes it quickly. The picture is focussed on a silver mirror propped up on an elegant gold stand. Below it is a ceremonial bowl boiling over and dripping fluid onto a bunsen burner below. The steam has caused the mirror to fog up. Fuzzy outlines of the hooded figures, casting circle, and the remains within can still be seen, but Damien doesn’t care about that. He focuses on the poem written in the steamed-up surface.

SHE'S foolish and knows not what she's   
READY for.   
BEGIN the play. set the   
STAGE. all the actors are but  
ONE puppeteer 

Damien smiles. “Finally….”

\-----------------------------

Dinner is a lively affair. On top of an abundance of food -apparently Toriel worked up an appetite hiking- everyone has stories to tell. Frisk regales everyone with their nature discoveries and the story of the multimillion dollar home hidden in the woods. Undyne boasts and brags about her skill scavenging the wreckage. 

At one point she exclaims, “I think I saw your beastie down there too! It had a hook in its mouth and growled at me as it swam by!”

“I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED! IT'S A FEROCIOUS ANIMAL!”

“you sure you ain't related, undyne?”

“HA! After seeing what it did to your boat, I say that you might be onto something!”

Everyone laughs and Papyrus uses it to launch into the story. Gaster’s pretty sure that the catfish wasn't that big but the way Paps tells it sounds so much better. He doesn't lie, per say, but he makes it seem like the struggle is what caused the boat to capsize rather than improper weight and balance. Gaster doesn't have the soul to correct him. 

You don't have much to add but you laugh and appear to have a good time. Though Gaster notices that you avoid looking at him directly.

That's… understandable.

The sun sets and the sky darkens to an inky blue. The campfire is stoked with thick logs and s'mores are toasted over the warm blaze. After a few hours of talking everyone starts to wind down. The popping of dry sap turns to a quiet hiss as the fire dies down. Eventually Asgore leaves to put Frisk to bed. Papyrus excuses himself to start his beauty routine. Jake and Amy decide to turn in too, but you state that you wish to stand on the shore for a bit. The others nod and say their goodnight’s. Gaster watches you go.

He sighs. 

Better now than never...

‘Um… Toriel?’ Gaster turns to her and signs.

“Yes?” Toriel hums.

There’s a cold edge to her voice and Gaster knows that he’ll have to apologize to her too. But first.... ‘May I borrow your walking stick? We weren't able to retrieve my cane.’

“Oh! Of course, dear.” She gets up, rummages through her things, and comes back with it in hand. “Here it is.”

Gaster takes the smooth staff and uses it to get to his feet. It’s a good chunk of elm that can easily support his weight. ‘Thank you.’

“you going somewhere, dings?” Sans asks.

Gaster adjusts his grip and uses his ghost hands to sign, ‘Just down to the water's edge. I'll be right back.’

Sans looks over and sees you staring at the lake. He quirks a brow bone, “if you say so… i'll be right here if you need me.”

Gaster nods. He hobbles down to the water's edge. The coarse sand crunches under his shoes but he's getting better at this. And he makes it down without a single slip. You’re looking contemplatively at the water and you wrap your cardigan tightly around your middle. It looks soft, but Gaster doubts that you’re cold. It can’t be less that seventy degrees out here, maybe upper sixties. As he approaches you turn.

Your expression shifts from distant to dismissively neutral. He winches, but that’s to be expected. At least you're not outwardly angry.

“Good evening, Dr Gaster.” You say flatly. It's so academically cold that a small part of him is impressed.

‘Uh, yes. Good evening.’ He coughs.

Without another word, you turn and start to walk away. Gaster internally panics. How? What should he..? He thought he'd at least have a moment to pick his words, but apparently that was a wrong assumption. He scrambles to think of something. Anything.

He sends his ghost hands into your line of vision and has them sign, ‘I'm sorry.’

Can’t go wrong with the truth, right?

You stop. For a second Gaster worries that you didn’t see it, so he signs it again. You nod and slowly turn back.

“Okay…” You hum, “I'm listening.”

He lets out a breath that he didn't know that he was holding, ‘What I said that night at the bar… It was completely uncalled for… And rude. You are more than qualified and capable for the… I am sorry.’

You don't say anything.

Gaster fidgets, ‘Do you, um... forgive me?’

You shift your weight and sigh. Your expression softens but your posture still looks closed off. “To be honest, I appreciate it and I give you credit for apologizing first. I… I wasn’t all that nice either…”

You pause.

‘I'm sensing a ‘but’ here…’ Gaster prompts.

“But I'm not sure if apologizing for that night really tackles the real problem.”

‘Ah, yes…’ Gaster winces. ‘That…’

For a minute neither of you speak. You fidget with your cardigan and Gaster nudges the sand with his foot. He kicks up a rock and it falls into the water with a small plop. He kind of expected this. Complex issues were your forte after all, but at least he has a moment to collect himself.

‘I…’ Gaster begins, ‘I’ve been thinking about that too…’

You look up at him but don’t say anything. Instead you wait patiently.

‘I… It’s been brought to my attention that I don’t like talking about certain things…’ That’s putting it lightly, but he has to start somewhere. He digs a small rut in the sand, ‘And the more I think about it, the more I agree with the assessment. It’s… There’s a lot of things I haven’t talked about. Things… Things that I should but… It’s hard. It’s so hard and to start now...I- Well I don’t think I even know how to? I don’t… “

His hands tighten around the walking stick. ‘How can I begin when I can’t even say…? To be honest, I can’t even think the ‘C’ word without sending my soul into a panic. I can’t… I just can’t…And I...’

His signing starts to break down. Half formed words and phrases seem to dangle in the air as his summoned hands struggle to convey his scattered thoughts. You don’t interrupt him and Gaster can’t bear to look at you. His eyelights lock on the water. 

The ripples have faded and without sunlight the lake looks black. He can’t see the bottom. Though this close to the shore, he knows it should only be about a foot or so deep. He just can’t see it. All he can see is dark featureless water and a faint outline of his own silhouette. It’s almost indistinguishable. Especially when his eyelights go out… He stares at the surface. There’s no breeze. The air is still. 

‘H-how can I…?’

There’s no moon and the stars are too faint to be seen. Gaster’s vision narrows on his reflection. His pale broken face stares back at him.

‘I…’

Shouldn’t there be crickets chirping? Or the rustle of leaves? Or… something? Why is it so quiet? There’s not enough light to see his clothes or other colors in his reflection. It almost looks like he’s wearing his old robes again. Gaster’s breath hitches and his grip on the walking stick weakens. He should hang on to that. What would happen if he fell? Would he even get wet, or would it be weightless? 

What was he talking about again?

He doesn’t even know…. No. It was about the Underground. About…

What would he do if this was all just a dream? 

The thought comes completely out of nowhere, but it causes his soul to cramp in his chest. That would be something he would do, isn’t it? In the void, where the emptiness is so absolute that every thrum of his soul is thunderous…. That every click of a joint roars like a cave in… That looking up only serves to see himself looking down, or another him from the side. Or even inside himself. So immensely powerful that the sheer weight of it all press his bones into liquid then back again into strange angles. Where the hunger for food and drink is so much that he could practically taste his own dust. 

In that place where everything was endured in the span of eternity, could he have passed out? Could he have let his mind slip into the same nothingness and dream of salvation? 

A desperate fever dream….

His ribcage feels tight. It feels like it’s going to crush his soul and it shutters in protest. Gaster stares down at a pale image of himself and struggles to breathe. Is he going to be sick? How can he be sick when he can’t even pull air into his... 

Suddenly he is not alone. There’s a hand. A human hand breaks into his line of vision and blocks his reflection. Gaster knows this appendage. It’s your hand, and your voice cuts through his thoughts like a scalpel through rot.

“Gaster…”

He nearly jumps. Something is clacking, and with a start Gaster realizes that it’s him. His bones are rattling.

There’s a splash and you’re standing in front of him. The water ripples around your calves, fully erasing his reflection. 

“Gaster can you look at me?” You ask.

You’re so small… The top of your head doesn’t even clear his chest but there’s determination in your eyes.

“What color is my cardigan?” You ask seriously.

‘Wha-?’ He blinks rapidly. He’s shaking like a leaf and he doesn’t quite seem to know what to do with himself. His eyelights are drawn back to the water.

“Gaster, eyes up here.” You insist, “Do me a favor and tell me what color my cardigan is.”

Why are you asking him this? Gaster blinks like a woken sleeper but he answers you. Then he realizes that he said it in his font and not sign language. With a start he also realizes had his summoned hands are gone.

Adjusting his weight with the staff he uses his own hands to sign, ‘Brown.’ 

But he has to look to make sure.

“Good.” You nod, “Now Gaster, I think you’re having a panic attack. Do you want me to get Sans or should I keep talking?”

Is that what this is? Gaster shakes his head. ‘N-no… I-I’ve never, but... d-don’t get…’

“That’s okay.” You’re voice is calm and even. Like a lifeline - a life preserver that’s made for… No. You’re a person. You’re not made for any purpose, except to be you. Perhaps you’ve done this before? 

You don’t seem to notice his musings. “I’m not going to touch you but I’m going to keep talking. I would like to talk you through a few exercises. Is that okay?”

‘Y-yes~’ Gaster nods.

“Okay. First, you look a little shaky. Could we sit down?”

‘Yes, b-but I’ll need a little… some help.’ He shankly signs and then reaches out for you. You open your arms but keep your word and don’t touch him. Instead Gaster wraps his phalanges around your shoulder and uses it as a support to slowly sink down. You kneel down with him and help him put the staff aside when he releases it. The water laps around your thighs and darkens your jeans. You don’t seem to mind. Gaster watches it and remembers that it _is_ water. He digs a hand into the coarse sand. 

It’s rough and it’s real.

“Gaster, we’re going to do a breathing exercise. Okay?” You ask.

Gaster just nods.

“Over the next three seconds I want you to breathe in. We’re going to hold that breath for three seconds and then we’re going to release that breath over the next three seconds. Can I watch you do that?”

Gaster nods again. It feels like it takes all his self control to do so, but he does. Three second inhale, three second hold, and three second exhale. His bones shake a little less when he’s done.

“Good.” You encourage. “Let’s do that a couple more of times, okay? I’m going to do it with you, so no cheating. Remember, three seconds.”

For a few moments the two of you just breathe. Gaster’s death grip on the sand loosens and the rattling stops. When you breathe out Gaster can feel it breeze past his cheek. It’s nice. There is no wind in the Void.

This is not a dream.

A shudder passes through him and Gaster groans. He rubs his face.

“How are you feeling?” You ask.

His magic comes back to him and he summons another pair of hands to sign, ‘Tired…’

“Yeah. A panic attack will do that.” You hum but your voice sounds warmer, relieved. “Do you want to go back? I can still get Sans if you don’t want to walk.”

‘No. I think… I’m okay now, but I don’t… I don’t want to go back yet.’ Gaster doesn’t want to be fussed over enough and he doesn’t want any more attention right now. 

Figures, just when he was starting to feel like he could stand on his own...

You study his face but nod, “Okay, we can stay here for a bit.”

Gaster leans on his hands and breathes. It’s quiet, but the more he sits the more he sounds he hears. There are bugs; he doesn’t know how he didn’t hear them before. Cricket chirps echoe in the air. A dragonfly   
zips by the low foliage. He can’t hear the trees rustle, but he can smell them. The pines are the most prevalent; though there’s a hint of grass and cedar wood. Slowly he opens his eye sockets again.

‘Your feet are wet.’ He realizes. It’s actually more than that. You’re pants are soaked, but if he was going to be obvious….

You look down. “Guess they are.”

‘Are you cold?’ He asks. It doesn’t feel like long, but you’ve probably been crouching in the water for a while now.

“No I’m okay. It’s not that bad.” 

Gaster chews his bottom lip ‘Do you want to get out?’

“I will,” You promise, “but I don’t want you staring at the water again. Was that the trigger?”

‘My, um... my reflection was… It looked like...’ Gaster blushes and nods, ‘Yes, but… Well I can turn…’ 

He doesn’t wait for your response. Instead he flattens his palms on the sand and pivots around. His body feels so sore- like the first day of physical therapy all over again- but he manages. The sand hisses as he does so. It might stain his pants and he won’t be surprised if he finds it in his shoes later. Still, he scoots around until the lake is out of his field of vision. Out of the corner of his eye socket he sees Sans up the hill by the fire pit, deep in conversation with Toriel and Alphys. Undyne must have gone to bed. The fire is dying low and Gaster can catch a faint whiff of the acrid smoke.

He hears you get out of the water and slop back onto the shore. You walk around to sit in front of him again, though your pants are dripping wet. You take off your cardigan and sit on it like beach towel. It’ll get wet and gritty, but at least it won’t transfer to you. That’s smart. Gaster does a mental inventory. He wouldn’t have anything to help, would he?

Undoing your laces, you remove your shoes and Gaster can’t help but stare at your toes while you wring out your socks. Human feet are weird. They kinda looks like his own and there are a few similarities with other bipedal monsters. But your feet are without scales, fur, or claws. He can tell where the pedal phalanges connect to the metatarsals and so on. But they’re so… Squishy. The nails look too stubby to be useful. They’re almost naked looking.

You make a noise and Gaster’s eyelights snap up. Did you catch him staring? He feels his cheekbones grow warm.

Thankfully, you’re not looking at him. Maybe you didn’t notice? You stuff your shocks into your shoes and you look like you want to say something. Your mouth opens and closes a few times as you mull over your thoughts. Gaster waits. Finally you look up and mumble.

“I’m sorry.” 

Gaster blinks, ‘What for?’

“I didn’t realize…. I shouldn’t have brought up…”

Oh. Now it’s Gaster’s turn to gape. 

‘No. It’s not that. You didn’t… I just- I want to stop bottling things up, but...’ Gaster signs. He slouches. As much as he hates to show weakness like this, he just can’t deny it. He slouches and admits with defeat, ‘I can’t go back… I’m not strong enough.’

You look confused and your voice is soft and quiet. “Gaster, I would never ask you to go back.”

He can’t believe it, ‘You’re not?’

“Fuck no!” You look genuinely appalled and the shift in tone is so abrupt that Gaster can’t help but laugh. It’s not really all that funny but the sound peels out of him. Bubbling up from his soul it takes the tension from his bones. God he’s not one for profanity but that feels really fucking good. 

A small smile tugs at your lips and you shrug, “I mean, if you really wanted to go I wouldn’t stop you. But… No! That’s… That’s completely unethical, especially that I now that I know…” 

‘So. What would-?’ He interrupts, ‘What would you ask of me?’

You hitch your shoulders and ask shyly, “Could I bring over a few blueprints sometime? Maybe ask a few questions?” 

Gaster blinks. That’s it?

Assured that the topic won’t send him into another panic, you say with more confidence. “I can tell that you had to get creative when you built the… the thing, and it would really save time if I knew the reasons behind your design choices. That’s all!”

Gaster can hardly believe what he’s hearing. Sure, logically speaking it would probably be more efficient if… Well if he was able to provide more hands on aid, but you seem content with distance consultation. Could he handle that? Gaster takes a moment. He had no trouble remembering the early creation process this afternoon, and the the idea of looking at blueprints seemed… Safe. If he could look at them on the Surface...

“At your own pace of course!” You add quickly.

Gaster nods, ‘I… I think I can do that’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah! Lots to unpack in this chapter! Frist, Jake is a trans dude! I will do my best to do him justice, but since the reader isn't really involved in politics and law it won’t be a main part of the story. Though sometimes you just want diversity. Because, why not? Side note: I was originally going to have Gaster just muse about creating the core but then…. Well, the sads happened on their own. Character development is interesting that way. 
> 
> Lastly, that sure is a weird poem. Bet there isn't a coded message in there. Don’t @me CIA. ;P


End file.
